mjm^'mmmM 



I ! f ti 1 1, t I- 

ir' I' ' ;i' 




R E M I IT I' S C T5] IT C T, 



IP 



A R L Y L 1 -F V- ^ 1 ¥, I L L I H I S 



B Y" 



IT P. !'" T I! E R ,» 



*a\ 



P p. E P A T R Y . 

These •'ReminisencGS» of Pioneer Lf.fe in Illinois fifty y-ears age, ap© 
our liother's pencilllngs durSSig tlie last invalid hottrs of Iier life, fcs* 
the entertainDient of h^^^yofij^est child, -srhose neciory could not reach 
bac^ to oven a partial knowlodso of fi'-ontler experience, s-ach as had,t© 
some extent, been v/ithin the obseirvatlon of the older children* pro- 
-■^0^ T7ltli no thought of p-rDllc-^.tion, and laainly priKato in thoir nattr^- 



■::t 0incG lior "d opart IT ""o—i^nT'V' ',\ sr'.riG irpulric with iThich ^ih^ -^B^lf 
3poal:s of valuing the iTienoria^Ls of h.er mother and htirhand— it has 
seeined to ixs a gr^.teful and proper duty tp preserve to oursiolves and 
th#se rrhc feel rrith lis, the £*;etchoD i^.'-hioh she has loft. 

Intended, as this "bools: is, for our family alone, there arc yot those 
outs'idc of our intaodiatc kindred connected with us hy the attachments 
of half a century, to whcsa, we "believe, these recitals 7/111 come as a 
pleasant visitant; not only to the few esteemeU surviving oGtemporaries 

" -^ur parents, "but also to some of their ra a n y 






PREFATORY* 

r 

itttered descendants, who laay recall Herefrom an occassional fanlly 
„^,«- f,-^ +.r adit ion Of thetr own* 

rroord of refined association with primitive rudeness; the 
,...,__ period whose peoftliarities can never be reproduced, and 
i, & be realised only by the participants therein, and to us i* is in- 
luable, both as preserving a portion of our parents* history, aM as 
lustraiing the t«il and discipline which prefaoed and founded that 
baeguent position of opulence, influence ar^ benificenco irhich was s« 
1 cullarly and proverbially associated with our parentsi names* 

f© have placed herein for preservation the portraits of our father ^ 
,.rS T^MSth^s- aM ^0@aased elder brother, and a|s© the picture of our «»olS 
"-" 'I&aSl^^ #^tM from a rude slcetoh talcen niany years ago* Erected in 
i^^-about the time TJhen our mother »s journal closes— it was then, and 
- many years, the largest and laost luxuriant residence in the State, 
aM the welcome home for many. Attractive to us as the place Dhere eur 
rller years were passed, it will^ no doubt, awalieB pleaaant recolleo-* 
; IS in many of our old family l^iends, by whom this volame will be 
: 'Jived* 



10 



REMIHISCEHGIT^S. 



AMIERST, MSS., JlHie S8, 1870. 
MY DEAR MUCimiER: — 'Wlienever you laave expressed. a wisli that I wcnild 
write out seme of w early Western exporieiicos, X have felf ala inolina-- 
tion to comply witfe your request, tot ill health and other hindrencss 
have prevented* As writiiig is not w forte,. I. do not feel that I ean 
prc.'to;*^ anything i^M wlaioh will at present interest you mx€lk; tet w 
:r )>f every reoord left me l>y ^ good mother, and niy dear 

y Mi»^an5,. feel that I laay leave you something iThi^sh will inter** 

est you in after life, more than at the present time. 

Although you have spent the greater part of your life at the West, the 
acouHTttlation of coiaforts, and the Itixiiries, and iraprovements fotty or 
fifty years have brought, and r/hich are trfhtve so liberally enjoyed, 
forbid" the realisation of frontier life, to those Mio have not isy stem 
experience pas-sed through such an ordeal; asid thou^ we have many pleas- 
recollections, I thiiflc, as a whole, the retrospect is preferable t© 
reality. Few would liKe to again pass througl^ the bitterness for 
•. 5al!;e of enjoying the reaembranoe of tH^ feir ssreets, 
-•:'-;--rir father's date of Western life was thre ©j^ 4 



2 REMINISCMCES. 

half yoars earlier than mine. He went to Illinois in the spring of 
I8I9, and I dlA not go until the autiimn c^ I8S2. He, of coarse, had a 

•cpericneo of bacKSTTOods lifo tlia^i T had; lie also had a strong- 
v'^elnGnt of hope and a most lndomital:)l8 energy that carried hia 
through all the disagreeables that caiiie in his way. It is rsse ti find 
one so amiahld in every relation in his interooijrse with the world, hcth 
socially and in huslness transactions, who yet could "be so determined 
and persevering in Tshatever he iindertoo?^ to do. His "boyhood and early 
manhood were spent with hiis parent.^ on the old farm at Halifax, at t end- 
ire the district school winters and ^or^ii^ on the farm In the susraar, 
• ■"^'.ins on the fam--he "Performed from ©"bedience to his 
, not that he lilied it« His father, at that tine, was 
..Idered the richest man in that part of Halifas, and, with the excep-. 
ticil of Stafford Sturtovant, his cousin, the richest man in town^ Dr, 
srmrtliff , who was a kliia of ff-smily oracle, tried to pervade his fath- 
er to send him to college, hfut the reason given was, not that he could 
not afford it, hut that if John went, the two younger brothers^ would 
feel that they had the same right, and he mkght not be able to send all« 

■^^ vour father was sent for sis laonths to Brldgewater Aoadeay, each of 

length of 
lers being sent at the same age, and for the same time, 

A 

i, ,-: grandfather, John fillson, was a l^iindJiearted, peaceable man,y8rjr 

rious, a great worker indeed; he was a laan of essoellenteomaon 

sur»- 
oC2i«^^ and better educated than many of his neighbors; and with saoh 



A 



) 



REIJIITISCEITCES.- - 

S 

rounai^s. ana his oM fashioned notlonc. I do not tmm there are aany 
who would havo done raore for tholr children. 

in the year lars. Dr. s:«rtllff having purchased a fa™ to Ohel,ea.ln 
f*oraer to .ottle his son Ben3a=r.lne as a famer, onsagod your father to 
so ana spend the stsmer'afr the farm, ana the ne:rt winter he went into 
Boston to write for the., doctor , .and arrange business for golne ^est 
the next sp»lng. r.t was durlne this winter he attended a course of lee- 
*»..•.,« on ohmlstry ana geology, by a-, nebstor-who afterwards flawed 

fearful a tragedy-ana he also Improved other adTOatagos *hleh 
■the olty offered for education. 

• tm,3T>B inciaofflaent to go to niinolg was In consequence of the 
.rest te^n at that time In soldier 's' bcnmty lands, At the «lose of 
.ihe war of rsis. congress awarded to each soldier who had served 1. the 
-ar. a bounty of one hundred and sixty acres of land, l^i^ ,,tween 
the Illinois ana Mississippi rivers. Then solaiers were not generally 
Of the Class to undertake the enterptlse of going to a country so new; 
and though a few ,.ept their Parotents. a.^ aid go out to taie posset 
«ton Of the son, the mdorlty ool« tholr patents to land speculator. 
|n the Eastern cities. iUnong the ,«rohasers was Dr.'^shurtllff, of Bos- 
^ , ana your father was employed by him to attend to his business. 

piai he soldiers sold their patent* thpv .la- ja'iah 

I 1=. mingy Tine:^ also ii^^ gave a deed, whleh 

^3 to be recorded in # nim^is. The facilities for sending by «all. 

. alght now be done, were so uncertain, tloat It was mm iemea m 

est to e^iey agents to go out and attend t, the reeordl:^ and locat- 

n e . a S4.M and also had 



4 HEIiDCHISCMCES. 

to te surveyed, and laid oT^ into to\7nsliips, sections and guartor-soe- 
tions* Consequently many young mon of aoility, employed as surveyors, 
agents and recorders, migrated to what ^jaa tlien tenned tlie "IF'ar Yfest," 
Others went from a desire to go to a me?/ country and estaljlish then- 
selves as farmers wliile land was cheap, and as was a coinnion saying i^ith 
th^a, "to grow up with the country,* Among those yoimg eaiigrants were 
merchants, doctors, lawyers, farmers, ychooliaasterg!, and many of thoa 
were oio? most oherishefi friends* I tavs new in i.iy ciind Augustus Collins 
from Connecticut, isfeo settled in i^iat they fi^t naiiied Unionville, now 
Collinsville. He was one of your father's first an^ most intliMte 
frt©Bda^ "^«ei %^-§ht, James Blac2^, will iara Porter, Israel Seward, wil« 
liaasi He Br#ien- s^an^aain© Mills, Samuel Loo^wood, RoTaert Blaclcrell, iTil'* 
llaia So Hamilton, Edward Coles, the Ross family, of Atlas — five T^roth- 
ers— H, H. Snow, John Wood, Orval Dewey, Hooper ¥arrea, Sr, II. llGwhall, 
who settled in Greenville, and was our phj^'sician; he now resides at aal- 
enao She three Blanohards, Saimel, Seth and Elisha, alsa settled at 
Greenville. The Leggetts, Breaths, Slocums,aiid Aliens, nho settled on 
Marine Prairie, Thoiaas Lippinoott— 1 have mentioned these an account of 
their havir^ been &aT acquaintances and personal friends • Thove are 
many ethers that I lil:e to keep in mind,, and the recclleotion of affr^ 
friendly intercourse is to ne a source of enjoyiiient. The two fainilies 
of Townsends— one from Palniyra, IT, Y,, the other from Hew Yovli City--= 
were choice acquaintances. Ihe latt^igr were the parents of lli^s. HiiiBSlex 
Mre Townsend had heen a flour mer- m^..- 



RETIIMISCENCKS. . 5 

cha:.xt. in ITc-t Yorlc, where lie had failed in. "business, toeoaEie discouraged,- 

^nd his "brctlior, a Trealthy merchant in iTew Yor!c, entered land for hisii 

l:i I'ontcoEiory Co., a"bout tvro nllf^^ from HlllsTborough, Here Mr, IT, and ■ 

n 
faiaily, after residing a whilo at BQhoratriQ, Mo,, settled, and were f©r 

rjany years our nost intimate neighbors, Mrs, T, ^^ was a woman of im- 



eonimon enorsy, ?^ell edneated, and fitted f#r Kore intellect^ial sarround- 
ings than her situation could give, Mr, f , had "been a handscBj© Kew 
YoTl^ gcntleir^Xj laclcing her force of cha»acter, Imt refined in manners, 
ai:id liind in feelin{?#^ alwaj^s f^ontlcsnanl^r except when the blues nmde hi^ 
cniff and siillen, Taey had two children; Rosetta, -B^ho uiarried Andrew 
~ ""a, 3!rs, Hlnolcley, Botii Rosetta and Julia spent a great 
c in our family, calling you-r father and n^self , papa 
and xnaiaa, -Emiie' Charles and John had a «Parter Willie" and a "Msafees" 
Towngend," all feeling thamhey &ad two fathers and two mothere* 

Of the other Townsend family you will find a record in lei LippenoottS 
"Log Cabin Days in the ¥est,» Br>th lit, and Wrs, Jesse T^wnseni and 
their children, with Dr. Perrins and fai-iily, wore our intiss-t© friende* 
But to return to your father '3 start for the West: 

In ISI9 going to Illinois was ■'-■lore of an event than a trip now woiild 
be to the most remote part of the habitable globe, Hg railroads and 
steamboats to anihilate time and distance, and the good people of Hali— 
fax were furnished with a new topie if eonxersatloji when it was Isnoirn 
tlist John Allison was geiag to Illinois, ssae approving, while others 
thought it a ¥/ild undertaking-, a n d 



.n'^ 



3 i?EIIIlIISCEIICE3. 

that ho would find it so 'before he was half through his ^journGj". lie 

strrted from Boston, talcing passage on a sailing vessel for BalMnoro. 

*%ls companions in travel wore Moses llallet and vrife. Capo Coders, Thoy 

were :.:arriod a fei7 days previous. to starting for the.rjest, and the 

honeymoo:: was divided betv/een the seasiolaioss of the first and the land- 

siclcness of the latter part of their journey, Ilr, Hallet, an honest 

and high-minded Yanh ee, tout good-natured and mischievous, arm sed us 

with the inqidents of their travel when ho visited your father in aft or 

years. I do not rememtoer inuch of their trip across the mountains, 

there "beings then no national road, "but at Pittsburgh I thinly they tooli 

a flat-boat to Shamieetoirn. 
Your father's first business on reaehing Illinois, where he arrived 

in Jun©#, I8I9, ^as with the Hecordor of Deeds at Edwardsvilie, I thinly 
he left his -papers v/ith Ilr. Randall, the Recorder, and went# #fe6 Mis- 
souri on land business. When he retujensd, the office uyas so n ucK 
crowded with previous business that nothing could be done for him, and 
Mr, Randall proposed that he should enter th © office as cleric and 
write until his deeds were recorded, which offer he accepted. Mr. R, 
had two other young men employed as clerks; one now the Hon. ^iram 
Eountr©e, of Hillsborough, the other Joel Wrdght, Esq., of Canton, 
Pulton County, 111, While they were together in the office during the 
winter of I8I9-*20, two or three young m en called to se© if lErie Randall 
would buy their land. 2hey were sp'eelmens of th e many disappointed 
Yanlcees who had gone West, spent all their money fo:^ land, and had not 
means of getting back to eoinmence ■ 



■©lat he v7oulcl find it sOj^rJ^^^jaJlQ, was half# way throiigh his ;journey. 



REl-HNISCENCES. 7 

the wotld Biie\7, The three cleric s, from con passion for #fche poor fel- 
10V7S, each bought a quarter section of land, paid tlier.- and sont them 
>t home to their raaiuas rejoicing, !EhG land was stuated in territory 



feeloneing either to Bond or Madison County, forty miles north of 
Edwardsville. , 

J-^c-^r^s sprinc, having a little .-aso -^f&oJ^S^esa, fhey started in 

"li of their i-HT-r "Dpgcseio ns, expi^ctir'- +o 'i-r'^rs- thn -'cnrn^v Vn - 

: "^"' ■^■■i.-^■■ ■, ^-, ^ fe^^^i^ prairie v-rTo coli2;oci' to c^ynp, ■ ." 

ro sf;vorDl days in ringing v7hat aftnrwarda l30cane thoir home. 

Ifr. ■Poimtree and Hr. TJright found their lan::^ 3-ist -:ture' had 

/^ • 

ir, On y::ur father's ou^rter sciotion t: squ^t r hrJ' :cxio what, 

improveme rit," s^-id iraprovoment eonsistl ^^t/'- of a 

' few e'jft£/s . :: \, -j.] v^ijce,' with a c::!?!:;-: : iofcc-ho-a3<^ i-" 

•:; cor.tre. The souatter, when what thoy called the "rale o';7ner», made 

:-■ ppoar n?e, expected to b e paid Tiell fD;^all his "improve ments , " 

" 'TOO for the Yanlcee "ho did not "pony up m?ll" to tii © squa tter, ' 

Y' " -'• 'v?-,-; no trouble with his occupeM, The lord, of the soil 

was -. X :--s a nan than Coi.iniodorc Yoaloiu, the best hunter , the life 
of the corn-shuckinc:s, thij best "corner raan" at a log cabin-raising 

lUs house al-.7?ys open to neip- nbors' ©jid fr|jends™thoup;h^ little lii^e 

flrse's hand. At his riieetlnss— Har :1 -shell Baptists — no O'no 

Old Grimes ^,^J^ 
■..could raise their voice louder In the h;^T^,^oinr? ^*j^ favorite tune 
After tho h^nc^ he could girc. ':'. - a- -71, -^^ a^owel kkd with a tin wash- 
basin 0-^ water go around ana ■ ':\ A of t^^e i-rethren and sisters 

■ - d grace, 'and with a a much apparent air as 



8 KEL -JIISCENCES. 

iThbn ho toolc good aim and brAir glit down a mmber of prairie chieliens at 
one s oto Be#ing so clover and Iiandy while lio always maintain ed an ->^- 
alr of coiimand, th'e boys had hoiiored him with tlic titlebf Gonmodore, 
whidh seerned to amuse #J^ and please him exceedingly. The CoEiraodore 

lar':^-e, blaclc-Gyed, ■blacK.-bearded, darlt-slclnod Teimesseean. ^o had 
haala grand or jiiifjfel great-grandfather who had "been a large land-owner- 
and slave holder, and that oircurastancc^, with the fact that the tract 
or 3 li is ancestors resided had "been distinguished and still i»«?© tho 



': . . of Yoalmn Station, ccoiDinlng i7ith- his large developem ent of 

cot C: , rendered our GoiMOdore, in his oiTn estimation, second to nc man. 

:'n retarnirig to Edwardsville your father found quite a large coniais- 

sion of new "business from Boston and Hew Yorlc, ^hich d-eeided T^im abouf 

spending another year. He uiade tho arrangement-;^ that his letters 

siiould he addressed at Edwardsville,^ having ^^reed with I.!y^ Randall 

that he should record his own deeds there, and T;7hen a 

paeha!^;e was corfipleted he would ride out to the farr.is and sgrperintend 

r.T:' w'orh at »the iinprovsinent . " 

In the s.utvmnbt 1320,^ in company with a surveyer, he went into Mis- 
souri, v;as taken with chills and fever, hut succeeded in reaching his 
fi'iend Hal let's house, where he vq.s T/ell nursed and eared for. The 
next ijirter, 1320-1821, he, with Isreal Seward, Hiram Roi^ntroe and 
Eleazer Townsend, went witl^^ a petition to the Legislature, then in 
session, aslcing- that a new county (Montgonery) be formed nortli of 
?ayetto and Bond, their lands he#ins within the new ooun|ry. Their 
petition was granted, and in the spring jd^ Mr. SexTard received the 
appointment of 



REIIIIIISGEHCES. 9 

ob-to Judge; Hr, Rountree Tfas appointed. Coiinty Glerig:, Mr, Hright, 

'' , ar.c your fat' er was nad-3 Postmaster of the County, tut# thero 

being no mail tout esta'olislied within tXTcnty miles of the County-seat j 

^^M^MMMM^^MMWM^'Mr%s§MM^^ devolved on the Postmaster, 
the oxponce of the nail for that distance 
'.is your father turned into a convmiionce, and there being; no rogiilar 

:hip in his oito n©ighi3orhood he would ride domi t® Green- 
ville 0-- Saturday aftcrnpon and return on Monday with the Cou nty^iaiiail 

that 
Ic'-iet; aoriietiiiiGS in his liat. At^timc^iis husiness was'alnogt 

-itircly clofje tlirBugh correspondence, and as evsry letter fromJIew 

Yorlc or Boston called for a postage of twenty-five cents, and his husi- 

ess v.-as. still increasing, the fra.nl^dng privilege was to him a great 
consideration, 

y?' fDur:' at Brecnville the llassachusotts faaily of Blanchards, Birge, 

" G Postnaster, a Vermonter, Br..newhall, a native of Lynn, Mass, a 

-cu:te of Harvards and a olass-^riato of uncle Charles Briggs; also 

Ben:i?jnine Mills , a lawyer of iiote, who, xvith Dr. IT., afterwards re- 

mon'od. to C-alona, end Dr. Porrinfewlio ^ .?.rried Aiv/ , tighter of # the -M' 

/(qv. ..:esso .'ow._se"no, , altogether for;.:.ing a very pleasant cix^cle. 

The'SQO-: poepl; roenvillo wishing to imp-rove their music^,had 

started a' sir^sing. class. They requested your father to meet w ith them 
every Saturday night, when he came down -for the nail, and also to ho- 
come leader of the choir, which he did. Being thi^te Gsta'blished# as a 
singlnfj-iaaster, farmer, 'land agent. County Treasurer and Postmaster, 
»is ties soeittGd strengthening^ in Illinois, and he changed his address 
fran ".dwardsville 



TO RI^IllTISCEJICES. 

o who-t i^as then ■;, 

t4oi?tvet. iTis. '.t>ie^ Hsxiilton, after^3?ds Hillsborough, and toolc p osses- 

lic, vjith ;'',;',' 
sion of liis cabin. Here -M^ Wri'p.t and Rountree, Icept "bachelor's 

liall,"'^e G:;all corimienceaient at fjiirst, but a nucleus for all tib e sick, 

horaesiclc, newly arrived, and errspit bachelors generally. Ain|sought and 

tooK shelter at "Bachelor »sHall.|« Among the arrivals that wlnt-fer /f^-^-^ 

Milton Shurtliff, fDom Career, aild William Porter, froja Middleborough. 

i ■'*- 
Porter was a handscMe, well-educated yoimg man, of a chas*-^ 

y 

etor quite the reverse of Shurtljiff. Alasl for poor Porter; I will 

p 'I ~ speali of him hereafter. II r. John 

r-imson, a young gentlcr.mn from Beaton, made theama visit, and entered 

labors and ' ; 
into all thei2^en3oyments. On leliving he handed your father a note, 

without any renarl;. On opening he found it confained a list of arti#- 

p 

cles that Cirason had brou^it out for his own. convenience* Each arti- 
^ 

cle had the prise attached to it,|and enclosed in the note was a very 
valuable gold chain, with the ps^oe marked. Your father lools#ed 
over triQ# note and enclosed the amount of money set on the wh ole, 

-'.n-d -Dtitting the gold chain with t'lie cash, handed it baoli to him. The 

I 
thing was so delicately done thaj| I have aliiBys remembered it, and I 

ro\ind two years afterwards, whemlwent West, great convenlenoe# # In 

some of the articles llr. Simpson.liad left. The cot bedstead and narrow 

natress was ;just what I needed fo^ ijy little Dutch girl. A very niee 

bottle-casG, with cut glass bottl§:s and tumblers, and ^ few boolcs, I 

appreciated. The nicest thing «as a raost complete gentleman's^ressing- 
c.ase, which, stSfange to say, Bnad surrvived the two years' deprivation 
by all the "bachelors who honored 



A 



EEMIKISCSNCES. IX 

P 
the cabin "by making themselves at home, lir. Simeon and your father re- 
mained friends as long as l(Er. S. li^ed. It seemsd strange that# those 
who went west at that time, hssrwvey diseouraging th^ir efforts might 
have Toeen, vmeti they returned tooithe east cherished a lingering desire 

for another attempt, and it was # very^ommon for# them to return for a 

experience. Su«h was the 'tragic 
second M^^^^I^;WWM;¥MM00MMM^- story of Mr. Simpson. 

Sffine time In I8SI your father went on an exploring trip, his ob^eot 

"being to survey and report to uon7residents the condition of tiieir 

sis 
lands lyir^ between the Missippi e^M Illinois rivers; he tool^^^ith him 

a ff?^ r and tio other men. They. were out# three weel^s, and only two 

or t'lree times did it fall to th e'lr lot to find a shelter for the nighX 

other than the lone forest, or thei broad ptairie. Thej would generally 

I'l' 
find some s'oring or water-course, '^her© they would build their fire. 

I 
The hunter, who acted as caterer s^d eook, would eiit slieeis frcm the 

game that he had secured through t*e day, eoolcing them on shar p# stia^^^> 

before the fire, one end being: dr;iven in the ground, wonldseon treat 

thein to a palatabl© meal, and ^Saen their repast was ended they would 
en^oy a sound sleep, f^sSing the ir*! saddles when ©onverted toto pillows 
as use1rul# as the famous chest of drawers, which also was a bed :^r ^'>T 
^ight. As fSm^&d brethsm have a lilclng for # good horses, and 



the prairie wolves a lieen scent foife a gooH lunch, i: believe ttey found 
it necessary to Ifceep a Iclnd of garider watoh, one stajiding sentinel whil^ 
the others slept. 

They crossed th e Illinois near/ j^^e mouth.- At that time, I think 
there was but one dounty M^ <^ the military 



12 ^^^^ SCENCES. 

tract, and what now consthiutes Calhotin and Pil^e was all# one county, 
under the nanie of Pil'ce. John Shat?, one of the first settlers, and a 
reat politician, and fond of rule, made himself conspicuous in Pike 
at th:t tii-ic. He was a large, darlc-complexioned nan, with ^ power to 
lead, and to gather about hto wann fritods, ifhile his pemiliarit ie^ss 
\7ere such as to insure for htai asa equal amount of antagonist. Jle—^oj 
those not in su"bj©ctioB to him— i?as Imown as#f »Ehe Blac]fc Prinoe of the 
Kir^dom of Pi]£e.«# Your father partool^ of MM the hospitality of his 
bachelor cabin, which .was retinrned in t^ill after we were hottsel^eepers, 
as we chanced to be on his road to the seat of goiremment. H© hadbee^ 

elected from his "Kingdom of Pi&e," to th© Legislature, -m^QT® he was 

y e 

-Iwas known as a troublesom menbey. ^ 

The course o:f the exploring p i-t: Pllso was northward, followinjf 

c •. <: 0-" ' ::is3issippi. Before iv..aGhing what is now Qui ncy, 
irv 3ed a night v/ith tw>o b-2eh<felors from northern He-w Yorlc. 

In k^s Journal- he : these two young men would procab 1 y be- 

gone permanent : settlers, and u.^^ the requislte3 of charaeter# to be— 
cone p;ooc. :i-:sens, a sottleaent leaving such a nuelus being, to his 

_ J..d, an important item in estimating the value of the adjaoont. lands. 
■;:iat sar;acity xras manifested in that eonolusion will bo left to those 
- r i-or nor G than forty years hsSve Imovm Governor John Wood an d Y/ll- 

-..rd Keycs Esq,, of Quincy, the ybung llewYorlcers of log cabin remern- 
rance, Hr wood anc" your father arrived in Illinoisabout the same 
time, Mr Wooc goinr; north, your f jlither^romalniiig.at.Edwardsyil If 
thoii^-h -^hoy had not Imown of each:\,/other before, the meeting at -the cabin. 



KEMIHISCMCES. 13 

ir. Kej^es rent out about the sane tine, but I thirJc was a schq ^ol- 
master sonevhere near the Wsn^ash river previous to joining llr. Wood. 
Towards the end of their exploration they happened upon the pr^emises 
lof Ossian H. ROss, who with a stui^y wife,^^d ^just settled hi^raself 
&t What is nci- Lewiston, Pultor-«ounty. The travellers arrived there, 

"^ lost hungry cofidition, their stock of crackers being spentthey ha ''i^ 
lived on Eeat and water for a day or two. Ross received them very 
graciously, and the good wife set herself about preparing a me^al for 
the hungry guests,* which was supplied w'^ith abundance, and app 'pr-^n-'- 

ood nature, though looking terribly aghast at the havoc ■-•t^-- ' 'v ^ 
stores of honey, bacon^^' and corn-dodgers. I%onder if it «':en . v. r 
ccrossed^er mind that one of her barfooted, smoothfaced hopefuls T;would 
^ver figure as a RepEe^entative in Congress at ¥/9shington. wgsS3e&^-'^ 
While on this survey he encountered several othei# explorlsts, and it 
jffas anrasins to hear of the raptures of some of them. One old gentle- 



man — 



^^'^^ -lethodlst— followed the course <if the Mississippi , and 



ths fVLrther nortn he advanced the more enthusiastic he became in ad- 

mi--atinn of the country, and when he arrived at the point whe-^e Quincy 
-10- i^./-nri olanbered to the top of the high mound that overl ooked 
^ho ri;-?,i,e -nvor, his rapture knew no bounds, and throwing up ^his arms 
Xe'e"^oi"inod: "Glory, glory, glory: I'm on the -Mount : the Mount: I'm 
.,-;-^,^\^,-^ of Glory:" HOW would his righteous soul oe vexed^ could 
:,:, .V+^,-,7.;,^,3 rv^nolition of his MouiTt Pisgah, through which i^ naau 



"Itf'Ofior: 



•^^>V.■^' 



t3 



■v:'r3v ia3ff# Jto7l39d'r tol tdtsw Jilts iSQ 

■^n!t Is''9i.-i B gnlTsqetq: ^uocTs lion 003 -9ri.. 



it biiM ^ati&ttoiqxo irxenj© iBtoroe to-xotauoorse oA xevxim aixlj .0 aXlrtV 
fcxie , iq-CixeejcceiH erf* 1* ©etwoo otfl- JboisoXXol — .+el&on'.^s?' isis^: - 






ii*i :im~r\ 






jrf^ 



14 ' REini'IISCEIICES, 

cut called Maine Street » A yo ung "blade from HejgVYorli ^r Pliiladel^-- 
phia, after visiting the "Bounty t^raof ," and crossing the Illinois 
river at Peoria Lalie, went into extacies in descrlTbing tJie beauties of 

■0 scenery, and found, to his own anirprise, that lie was a poet, ^d de- 
clared that he could not leave i^ritJiout giving utteBanoe to his feelings^ 

ot only because he had enjoyed so much, bilt that the sublimity should 
r-isc- him to poetic transports, as an evidence of "ciftiioh he sent# the 
•follov/iiT- to his pachelor friends: 

"I an in all my glory when I thinl: of Peoria, 
That gentle and beaut iful lalie, 
Fnere the goose and the# s-jran 

Do the waters adorn, there pleasure^ I mean for to take, 
l/ith a wife by my side d0T^.i the waters I'll glide 
With a love that shall banish all fea^; 
And then we will roan to- ou:^' cabin, our home, 
"or dreaiii that an indian is near." 

I have forgotten the rest. 

C:{Sf|d^!m3P;<^^ft#^^3;^|tifl^fi^^ 

ifnllffiniiiiiiiiiii tfin the spring of I82I, Shurtliff , who had been a few months in 

Towards 
the country, having fully decided to ^^^ talce to himself a wife, in- 
foraed your father of the fact. He said M5 had had his piol'- of all the 
native girls, and had decided on the "'Sqisire's daughter, PQllyH," He 
had popped the question, secured li'iis bird, but how about a cage? Would 
your father let him bring his brioie to Ms cabin and she become house- 
keeper and he their boarder? Yousa father was willing, so Shurtliff 
went to St. Louis, bought Polly a silk dress and a straw bonnet and 
th^ were married, and became host and hostess of the ©stablisiment. 

The bonnet and dress had a magic i^nfluenoe on the mind of §§&^flf^rf^^ 

pretty Polly, as she had never before worn anything that had not oGen 

woven by her good mother. 



EMIIJISCMCES, 15 

spun from the cotton raised In their "patch "(garden), and colored "by 

indigo ?/0ed of their Awn growing. The dress and bonnet were also a suTo« 

;ject of ^^^ deep interest in the settlement. Those who did not see 

"by 
her wear them "to preaching,* cciaXd yet have the benefit ^j^^alling at 

the cabin, ^ome thoiight Polly "too iim^h set up," but on the whole it 

was agreed that she bore her honors meoklj. 

Poor Polly. In speaking of Polly I# omitted to say tlmt she was the 
daughter 
daugSifep^' of Esquire Kilpatricl?:, familiarly called '"Squire Davy," and 

as they were our nearest, a^d indeed our most reliable neighbo-rs among 

th© "white follcs," we were brought into closer acquaintance than with 

'licrs. Perhaps I shpuld explain that "whit© folios" was a naiae 

given in derision to the first emigrants from the western and southern 

States. An old Tennessee woman, who ^^ had a terrific opinion of the 

Yanlioe, said: "I ain getting slceery about them ere YanK.ees; there is 

such a power of them coming in that th^ and the Injuns will sguatoh 

out all the w2iite folfes," Nothing afterward would exasperate them mo^e 

than t© have a YarXGQ call them white folks. 



your father first went to loolc after his farm he wanted a board- 
ing -iHease^ and "'Squire Davy's* was recoiMended. He and Wright acoord- 



ingly toolc board there until their cabin was built, and Conmodo^e Yoa- 
icma had rGMoved, thereby leaving his cabin for their stable, ^he -^i|i 
•Sgiiire had, I believe, been a sehoolnnisster in Esi'Tens, Ky,, th© plao^ 
from which they caine. His wife «as naturally smart and industrious, the 
latter qualification minus in^'Squlrcfoavy," She could read, said en- 
tered into all the political interests that cam© # to -M Siss- 



IQ REMINISCENCES. 

Isinowlodge; kept herself and f airily clean and comfort ablF olad. She, 
with her daiighters, Peggy and Polly, had mauled rails enough to fence a 
"truck patch," and a cotton and indigo, patch. Here every MM year she 
planted her cottoti, indigo, ca^>bage, potatoes, and whatever else the 
wants and appetites of ^leAfamily ealled for. The whole family were , 
clothed m winter in linsey and cotton, all of their omi manafaoturo- 

During the sumaer a skirt witM a waist of copperas and "blue plaid 
homespun, with a necessary uniergatment , constitntod the dress of the 
female portion of the faiaily, with the exception of Mrs. K., who very 
uisely covered her neck with a Kerchief made of the same material;??^ as 



Hheir dresses. She was a short, broad ,^^^€a»-lJailt woman, and the ker- 

e r ■' ;i-. 

■kerchief, a yard square, was non^too aiipl^fco protecther ueibl-deve loped 

propertions. I have been thus particular in my description that y^^u 

may, in imagination, look at twohaUdsom© young gentlemen seated at the 

ta*l0 with the 'SguiBe and lady, Peggy and Polly, Six was the nmber 

usually at log eabim tables, for the reasoBithat six plates, one platter^ 

V 

six knives ana forks, six tin cups— or, possibly among the more aristo- 
cratic, six cups and saucers — constituted the table outfit, on apttle 
bench in the corner of the cabin stood the water bucket, with a gourd, 
for drlBking. It was tli@ custon^or each one, after being satisfied 
with the solids at the table, to walk to the bucket and tako their last 
course i-rom the gourd. Then while th# youngerBOl©ns were serambllng 
for what remained on the table, the older memSaers of the family— both 
male and female — would seat themselves comfortably around the fik 
fire with each a pipe, 



REMIHISCEITCES. 17 

their own Inventive genius ..Several varieties might "oe seen ©n such oc- 
cassions, "but the most «oiamon was a piece of corn cob dug out for the 
bowl of the pipe, with an alder quill inserted fspr the stem, 

Tw© such young men as ©ur young bachelors coming into the settlesaent , 

y ^ 

buing land, and actually going tckorlc on their farms, created quite S 
sensation, and some loolced with an evil eye on the 'Squire for talking 
the two Yanlsees into his faxiily; some had always thought that «01d Davy 
T7as littlo better than a Yanlcee, anyhow," Some thought his wife had an 
eye foe the future of her dau^ters; that Polly might do for Tillson, 
but as for Peggy it was decided sh© was too ugly even for a Yaniiee, al- 
though they were sure lirs. K, was for "h-44ehlng, her to Wright." Jess© 
Busan and Milton Shurtltff arriving, settlM that question, but the 
neighbors thought Davy and wife were "awful spitted" — disappointed — at 
not setting Uright and Tillson. 

Those who now go to the far .wast can look forward, to a rapi€ improve- 
ment, and with the faellitios for traveling do not feel that^they havr 
set themselves dow®, is the place they must stay, or leave at a great 
saerifiee, and they can have but little idea of the diseourageaents the 
young adventurers of that country must have encountered, nothing but a 
most indomitable perseverance could have caused them to remain, and I 
have felt like attributing to them a higher commendation than has yet 
been accorded to such. Kie new arrangement and .change feom bachelor 
housel^eeping did not prove pleasaj.it. Mine host showed his cloven foot 
in various ways. He quarreled with his wife's rela- 



18 RMIIIIISCMCES. 

tions, and Mrs. K. , after aai oncounter xrlth her son-in-lai7, vionld re- 
port it to your father. ITliilG wit la tliera yoiT* father had -^^ a shake of 

' the ague; l^^nowiiifi ho had nothiiig to hope forj^ there, in case of oie#£- 
ness, and feeling pretty frare,as the natives tsnaiGd if, that ho iira^ 
"in for a smart grip of asy," ho started at night and rode to Rev, Mr. 
To?ais8nd's, seven miles towards Edwardsville, where he stayed t© have 
another ghake. The next being the intermediate day, he rode to Mr. 
Hoxie's, twenty-five miles further, and waited over there to have an- 

^other shalie, which, llrs. Ilozie said, "beat all the Ghalves she ever sav;; '' 
he shucli the hull oahino" 3?he nest day he #j!^# went to Sdvardsvillo, 

.liore he was kindly imrsed £ind cared for "by Mrs a Randall, the good old 

to !.&•. 
Methodist lady ^o had "boarded with, and mother ^ ^^^ Randall, the 

Recorder. Y^en he thou^iSi himself ^oll enough he went over to liissoiiri^ 

hut the fatigue of the journey brouglit on a relapse; he was fo^^'tunatQ, 

however, in reaahing his friend lfellet*s» 

In the spring of 1322 he rented his cahin to Mr. Rountree. Shurtliff 

having entered land adjoining his farm, put up a cabin, where,. ,i7ith his 

Tolly, he CQiamenced — as he termed it— "on his own' hoo:^." Mr, Roimtree 

was also putting up a# cahin on his own larji. Joel T/right built the -^^ 

same year, on his quarter section, so there was quite a log eabin nBigi>- 

bo#rhood wiiihin a mile square » The oabinSs oould be seen from ©aeh 

other in the winter, but In the smamer the thiols foliage and the high 

corn-fields shut out all iiitrusion from prying neighbors, and equally 

all sense of human companionship, maJelng at tines, the truth of Ales- 

ander selSiirK^'s lines. 



"I am ^\c•naroll of all I mn'vcy,'* "•.c, r,oro forG(!il)lo than poetic. 

In April your father and "'Ir, A-a.-;i,i'?t"i.s Collins otai^/tecl toc;otlier on 
'.oryecrjtoirjone fcr Cornectictit jthe ot"-Lcr for Masgaclius0tts,l3otTi on the 
ftiSiac errand. '^Ir, Collins rsarriod a MIjpjs Sanf-ors — she is not? ths TTijg"© 
of Br. Cillottj of JacS:£jonvills, Ills It ?,'^^f3 fho plan thf^.twe itifo-lr? s».i;| 
roturn in cc^^t-hw v.o Illinois, imt yoitr f?thor boln*?; ^stained "by 'cii^i- 
noss ue cLicl not ytart until a rrcok. later, and tt "beeane ono of tho occu- 
pations of our ijourncy tc p-tafly thn 'natel restisfers, loolting fv>r tho 
record of tlieir faiilly. -P.criiden Ar-;Titrat|/s Collins and v;ifo, ^ore lii-^, fa- 
ttier and :iOtIiGr, }il?3 ntsters, Kiss Kliifaj Tllsa Alnirii( since Mr-^, Cl-i^- 
di:!t;3), ancl IIa:ria, the youiigGst , a 'boaiitif^il and r?ooor-plished younx? 
lady, "-iVlio died not lon^; aftor tlieir arrival; four' lirotlii9f«3,An:3on,Mioh.aii.J 
¥•1118371 and Proderlc, t;ic l^rst tho 4nly sitrvivins one, 

After.reacliin^^ Illinois we tept up as f^.icih of an aecrisaintanco as th© 
distance of cur location would adiTiit , your father and "Ir, Collins alwassf 
rotainiiif; their Icind feolirjg totsrard cacli other, and the friendslair cora** 
aencinp; so eEirlj'-, has always "been cherished ty ne,p.nd I h?j7a svor felt 
a i7aj:in at&achiient for that f-^i'-llyjand have ro.^retted that I did not -^^ 
mere frequently see '.Irs, Giddiness after her comin/t to Quinoy, It rres in 
the siutsaer of tscs that v;e irad«^ otir f irat visit to the Collins frnlly. 
We liot there lir, Giddlngs, T7ha,nn I jifterwnrde fonind, r/as Ico^inf! rr.ong ' 
the lilas-corrrlfdles fo^' .'^- hotter half, and. tho result vrae his narriace 
the next year to '.Uyg Almlra Collins, I did not agp.in see Hrs. Gid- 
ding© until after the "birth of Frederic, in 



20 iis,a:iiirjc3i;NCKs. 

the av.tur:)|of^Te27, At tlu-.t 1 13.10 Augustus Collins, Fitii ^lis brother An- 
son, -tmd. GGf^Gmol 1^.3iu3SB ill -31. Lcuis, loaviii^ liis re.tIior and nether 
^n Union^ille {nov CclllnGvillo). U5.1Iiai-i Collins iiad r-arrlc:l, and oc- 
eupiod the old laansion, and with his brothors me cnsai^ed in th© flour 
Msiness, c^kI TiimiUiey a distillery. 2ho lr.tbGr, tiiow;.h a busincGa of 
Kucli profit, thoy r:ave up for conscience' fcal:e. Tlien the Coliiiio faiiiiZy 
fctthor and so-is, decided to. give up distillins, the old la^y vculd not 
Bonsont to havo M ^M the still cold, im, h£:d it biUloefi .-nd so daiiol* 
Ishod that it could 05,i3.y bo sold for old copper . Sl''.e &sij uno raAj.g ^^j;^ 
sric. rdsory should coiue ficnt. that £till,« 

U R JO H.R H S Y . 
In 1822 it iras atili a groat evert to imdcrta^e a journey t^ Illin^n.^^ 
and nar^r were the direfjil roaarfeg and Gonelusio^s abst^t w going.;, yoi- 
grandinothor dreaded w starting without siiiy lady coapanien , and ^as 
tnueh relieved to find that a lire. CushJuan, a T^idow lady, .Those husband 
had been a lawyer in Halifax, an,^ istto had but one o!iild-a son sottlocl 
near Cincinnati— was vialtins an opportunity te go and mM her day^ vrith 
ler belovGd Joaihua, and tSjat your father had offered her ?. oeat in cur 
lan-iase, iTlUch offer had been aco6P:feed, Yotir uncle Pobort r^Xo ro, 
.'he carriage had been bailt s».t Bedford, Hasru, undor your father's di- 
'eotlon, oxvressly for tho journey. Your ^^# great ^^ranc=5i:othor 
Jrless had seen the carriage pass her hoi.ise, and in telling hm she 
'elt at parting with her eldest granddaughter, and the sadness it had 
;lven Hsr t© aee the earriage that was to taSe a© away, was not 
^ar© that 



PSIIK I SCE'JICES . 21 



she said MM^^i^BOTso* instead, of carriage. It aimsed those who heard 
it, but they had too niieh reverence for her feellnss to tell her of the 
nistal^G. 

no,, ha.a it le to shal.e off the ^<^^„,, „,, ^^^ ^^^ ^_^^^_ ^,.ttn^. 
tho Lrea3.1fls up of fa.mio. ar.d homo sttaoments have always bees to ne 
panioularly palnft-.i. and the oad forboaings I „as eonatantly hoarins 
at that tir.:e of the foa^a Journey, and the aiaaal baoknoocls life 
v.-hloh aralted me, were not caloulatod to dispel the clouds that Tjoula 
aometines oone over ho. I did uo4 know then, a. 1 realise now, that I 
.a. :r.ore ready to. be influenced by fears tlmn by hopes. Hy tlmldtty 
throt-^h life has l^en By inflr^slty, ^ant of self-confidence, and a 
shrin:,!:^ from notoriety Barked mf early life; and it is only fron a 
senoo Of cWy to .^self and m .hildren that I have, in a meaeure. 
overco^ the folly that has kept me back from mny good perfor.^os. 

I did not intend to onte''" into «-n i r!Wrt<3+ i r>«+ ^ ^^ ^ 

xu&o an investigation of niy own particular 

te..3>er and disposition, but found r.,yself-before I ..a3 a,Tare of It-cf 
aolln^ out my short«omlnss. It has been r«. aisfortmia to d-.^ell cm ,p,- 

we loft ry father's house at Kingstra. Oot. 6, 1833. to carriage 
bel:^ soaeuhat suel, a vehicle a. wo -.ould now call a tro-seated buggy, 
^t that tine the mMe buggy was not knorrn.. Ihe seats were so mde that 
a truns could be fitted under each of ta^, and there ras room in fronj 

behina! SI mh r"??t'le ??* °\f f*f''^' .'*" "ushEan-s tr^o* rode 
, a i.-.n ^ lit„le omnbao basket oo:ntal!iing ray night clothes. 



23 ITSinillSCMCES. 



■bnisIiGS, otc, and a Itmch 'baslcot , xro found ourselves pretty closely 
paoEed, 



We were to travel at a'bout tiie rate of one hmidred miles in t^ree 
days, and St.Paul-lilce, eoiamenoed our ;journey coast-wise. We passed 
through. Pifovidenee, stopping to din© ^ith Soth Allen, wlid liad fon:ierly 
"been a neiglioor of your grandfather TillsspnSs, I speak of this 'bc^atis© 
theirs ^^ irare the last faces I saw of thoae I had ^xown fcefoBo, and 
iiimmBiB not until foiir years after, v&en yotir •ancle Charles arrlTrocI in 
Illinois, did I see any face that I had oaf ore Io®'is:©d upo&, after leav- 
iias the Allen's, onby- second day ;froia home* Our eourse ^^ carried us 
.along the southern,^^## the shore line of Connect i cut, passing throrich 
Haven, We arrived at Hew York in eight tfeys* ' It 'being lay first 



visit,! was Eoraeh di&;#appeinted t© find the eity almost depopulated by 

the yollon fever e We *knew that the '"'fever ?m.s prevailing to some extentj 
Imt as :^^ intelligeac© did n^t then, as now, go with lightning speed, 
and \7Q had %qqh so long on the way, tSm extent of the sidcness uas not 
'imovjn to us, j'e rode into Hev; 'forh in tM/^ morning, hut it had a very 
desolate appearance, She inhabitants had elesod their places of lousi- 
ness, and the aorteliants had reiiioved their goods out of v/hat iras then 
termed the city. ' Thiaplaoe where Union Square now is, \7as oouixty, and 
th©Be who were uillins to ridfe::.the chances of ycllov; fever so near tlieEi^ 
had erected shanties, and were displaying their goods. There was ^aiTie 

hrich hull ding where an Irishnan Isept a decent tavern. Tliey were hold- 
ing a political caucus the night vre stopped there. 

At Philadelphia wo stayed a day, puttiiic up at a 



Periini sconces , 2-^, 

QterJvor ijoarding .-house, '"o went out and "boiv aitn moriiio sh^.Yil 

lar<-'e leghorn ^,. 

anri some -^winter triimiinpjs for ir.yJponnot, VJo clicl not - oft en 

^as now.j having; a rrinter, spring, simiiaer, and f?Jl loonnot, '^hn'^''^ ■■>.-• 

coul<\ afford it wore ostrofh feathers in rrinter, v;Mlo in the^-^^uinrvn- 

,-floii7ers-j.-Arre substituted. Pe:rthGrs at tliPt tiiae Fere thought ' : Tr: 

In "Dad tasto for_ sur-nnor ¥;ear I enjoyed my day ^- '^•liladelphia; ali:o iny 

..whole journey, through JTow Jer eeyand Penr^syivaiiia, Tne country v-ap; 
f'A^ory df.-furont from anything I had seen. Having -been ferought up on the 

sandy soil of old Colony, 'among the pine woods, Where every farmsj? is a 

;jpoo? nan, and those nho have farms and are ricli have inado thonselves go 

yy vi^vnjfaGture or ooiiEierce, It seemed strange to see the Dig Dutch 

ba;n G, nhioimn the distance wo continually m-istooK for churches. Tao 

inii '3 also Interested me. We stopped ©verjfnight'^nd "betrreo^-^ P'-n- 

ado:- nd 'Le^ncaster found ourselves in houses where they could n^t 

■spealc a word of English, and -;i^ur pantomime perfomaneea were sometimes 

very anusir^. i can now Mi recall some tMngs which oeeured Tihlle 

your father and I wore trying to cone to some ujiderst andlng with the 

hodt an:, n ni^3s. I can see your imcle Hohert in his mulberry suit 

'"■ " ■--■:n-- •■'-';naisht froja his shoulders, not speal^lng or moving 

-■■-:, n.t so-d~naturedly Fatching the noveaents of the rest. 

ArrivHd at iWieeling vre stopped for breakfast, and then in a 

ferry boat crossed the Ohio, #?herQ I ims scrae- 



-^A^ 
<* 



REIIIITISCEHCES. 



hat disappointed. The river iras very loxr at that tine, and ltd narrow 
tream tetTTGen tv/o fsandy shores, I loolced on with other eyes and 0:::c~ 
Ions than I had in store for the «heautiful Ohio." Prora Wheel i;ig we 
'ont across the country to Yrilllamshurgh, a torni M tiTOnty miles from 
lineirjiati, xThere v/e viere to leave Iirs. Cushioan, with her sor., I 
ihould, liKe to describe Ilrs. Cushman, lov.t, now feel mxro lil^e plodding 
jy uay throiish Ohio. After crossing the Ohio river, a neu scene opened 
,0 ne, and my initiation to a new coimtry besan. Proa C-orfthorland, Penn^ 
10 Tmeellns, we had traveled on the national road, but it er.tended no 
^irthor, and after that we were left to mal^e our way as best we cotild, 
ivor such roads as Ohio at that tim© could offer, men we were wading 
bhrougii swampy, boggy bottom lands, we hailed cordr!*oy with .I'oy, not 
that corduroys were our partictilar fancy, but anythiiis fo^:- a variety; 
and when the jostling, jolting , up anpl dor^ process beearne unbearable, 
ei change to a rjiud hole was quite soothing. We were not all the time, 
however, in so sad an exts^emity. We sometimes for hours would ride 
through high and dry woodlands ?;hore there had been roads surveyed, and 
the under-groT/th cleared out the width of a carriage road, ard every 
few rods we would find what they termed a blaze, Haich was a tree with 
the barl^ hacked off, anS these served as g-iide boards. At J!anesvllle # 
ve found the first coiafcrtable stopping place after leaving ¥i?h.eoling. 
We want there from Chillicothe, Tiiiere wc found a good liourse. This 
place always recalls Mrs. Clishinan. ^i© fotmd In the norning 
that in passing to her bodrooii the 



REIIIITISCEITCES. 25 

night ffefore she had oomo in contact nitlL fresBE. paint , afccl had raaiTed 
the appearance of her nice hlue cloth treveling suit. She "srsnt to the '"^ 
painter, showed him her garment, and asifeed for some spirits of turpen- 
tine. The painter loolked indifferent, and told her he had no turpentinf^ 
TThereupon she grew earnest, and aslced him 7?hat kind of a painter he 
could he, not to have spirits of turpentine, to •k?hich no save her some 
rather waggish ansi^rer. She then drew his attention to the intrinsic 
worth of the garment , hy telling him she paid so nany dollars per j^-ard 
In Boston, Fhere she had had it rjade 3'iist hefore etartlng on her joitr- 
ney. nothing moved "by her sorrows, he kept at his work, heizig very re- 
".Ci^eetful, though looking wonderfully amtised, Mrs, C, findiag she 
could accomplish nothing with the painter, resorted to laiae hd»st, who» 
with his wife, two or three greasy girls from the kitchen, and all the 
younglings of the family, wore open-mouthed, listening to her aad story ^ 
A happy thought at last ms#ved some "brain of the grAup t© go to the 
druggist and obtain the desired remedy, which, after lauoh ado, and ha*^-^ 
yuhhing, .finally produced the erasive effect desired, so that our 
friend went on her ^efurney as well satisfied as if nothing had happened^ 

Srs, C, was not a fanlt-flndlng woman, and with a few out-hre^s like 

sa 
the one named excepted, made a pleasant" companion, and accomodated lier- 

self to the inconveniences of s»Ach a journey "bettor than most people 
would have done. She was a fine look&ng woEnan, alwaj^'-s neat, and well- 
dressed, and had# in her young days "been called a "beauty, was -M^ a 
sister of Thomas Huh"bard, of Hanson, the rich man of the town; had 



c 

2G 3XEMIHISE1ICES 

iTiarrled Jotliam Cusliman, of Haliflgs, an educated and handsome man, 
brother to Joshua Cushiaan, #of Maine. After her husband's death her 
house was given up, and she left minus house, home, and every means of 
srapport, and entirely dependent on her brother •s bounty. Her only sen, 
Joshua, had gone t© Ohio to seelv his fortima; had married, and his wife 
had died, leaving one child. Her dealro to be nith her 'son, and to 
talce charge of his little daygliter, made her prefer the uncertainty of 
a new western home to the comfortable provision her brother had ^0^mh?^ 
extended to her in his oon family. 

On inquiring for Wllliarasburgh, after leaving Chiilicothe, we could 
find no one who Jcnew of such a place. At last a shrewd baclcr/oodsraan - 
where we spent the night told "As it was only a «stalj;e town," It had 
been stalled out, but they had not made any « improvement)||(, « yet; he 
reclioned they night get up some cabins in the saringa Did not laiow any 
ma\i by the nsoie of Cusliman, There irere a few families settled, in the 
timber, near where the toifm was stalled off; shouldn't wonder if that 
man might bo there; seems lil^e he had heard the name. Poor lirs. c; _ 
I hardly dared look at her. How could she bear the char<ge? I felt sad^ 
sad indeed. Hot so ?/ith Mrs. Cashmson; the thought of being so near 

her only child seemed to ezclude every feel ing>;. The weariness fron her 

A 
long journey^ th© racKing from the cdrduroy roads, and eve-n the few re- 
maining spots of r;hite lead that had elimg to her blue sKj.rt viere all 

forgot t eh in the th ought that in a fe^ hours she fiiglit Biet hijiir Joshua 
Such is a mother's love, A fctl^^hv r,iay love his children dearly, ten|?- 
derly, a husband a ^ifo, a wife a 



EEMIiJISCEHrCKS. 27 

hisalaand, a brotlier a sister, a sister a Tbrdther, but none of tliem can 
eomprehond a mother's love. 
I. It was SwRday, about noon, w?.ien ws arrived at the house of Ilr. Jer- 

' A 

negan; the Bucl-Loyes called hira "Jotamyglno.M mie family were from iTan- 
tuolcot. A soa-fariiig man had ibeen Hr. Jernesan. Ho had raoved to Ohio, 
and a pretty aaughter of his ffiiad married !Ir. Joshiia Gushmaii, a liaiid- 
sc::ie yornig Yarl'Lee. We foiJind Mr. Ciishnian and child-- a swoet little 
girl about three years old — at Ilr, J.'s, The fanily v/ere living in a 
.small "briclv building that had been put up •srith the intention of putting 
a large front to \That they designed for a liitchen, iMt at the tinio of 
oui-- visit it served for |p Ikitchen, dining-toom and parlor, and ti?© lit- 
tle bed-rooms part it ioned^, from: the liitshsn oonipleted the inansion. IIt^„ 
J-#rneean, c. plain, sensible, raodost v/oiTianj^Tho , with her ^laughtor, did 
*". ■ -jorli of the family — received Mrs.'C. politely , but soeins her looli- 
ing at the etately appearance of m-s, CiisMian, and then at her eirn ac- 
eomtaodations — her little bed-rooms and plain Mtohen ae^aiogcMents—I 
could see and understand the "Oh, dear; what as i to do?" although un- 
utterea, ua wege, however, relieved ^en Joshua pointed out a small 
bri^ buildirig, i^ieh he said he could 'malte ready and go to houselseeping 
in a short tiiiie, Y!q made the best possible time, after leaving Mrs. C.j 
on Saturday, for Gineinna^i, irhere vq arrival Sunday laorning, in time 

f©r church, lut in no plight for church going. We stis^pped at a house 
^ept by a llr. Pox. 

I forgot to nention a night ize spont betueen Wneellng and Cincinnati, 
trith a Bostonisn„ Hife were told 



thro'i;':.!! ti.:; :'.v.\ , vrhen, as wan o rr custom, we inquired for a stopping- 



Pl" t nisht, tii.at the -re was no tavern on tho roac?., lut by 

M 
purlin;; • little off th«: o VQiad^find "a Yanki :i;.:, 

Sia " :...'-. Oja clearing, and so:.;etiLios Ivtpt pTiT:lic." 

We roachoci t'ie' 3?.lTln aliout sun xet and found a littlo . ':' :, ..:. 

p'C'orstana h. :r. She did not seem, to uor'x:, or to l<:no/ : 

too- sec.; ■ ^ ■. ■ ,. Of* to toioiT on'^cugli to '.o a lody. Another Troi'.r^n G'.ioin- 

od to 1)0 riOU--!o'ivOoper and cook. The little ir.an hp ' ' r. - v 

'elpins him to hill sjv'i.r ; r.iade no pr: ' ;:"iB2t the slau^c;:-^ s fo^ 

one crP tho raoGt urgent demands of our r}stnvo. Fo." Ir fi-.n fcvcQ, t;o 

having eaten nothinr; >;i o;-; hr;;?h!~^: ' , :;:.-, „rv- ^.:-:rs -n----' "p 

l^--''"^^- ^"^■^'^'^-li-:^---; -'■ - :.-_;. :•, ^--^^ the whiBhy nettle 

- . _ - .. -■ . -', ■ ... I 

tiith ..-j-iic:: our host and iu& nclghbol; v;oro oxhileratins themselves f'ld 
fiot suit me. They pro psred a i.iug of : ' ' • ■ - ■ ■-,- -■- ^ -^ - .,..„. 
self, but hot h said"!!o; thanh you;" lioBtess dld'nt thanlr., hut said "yos 
ft.fter Lnipper, on a "bureau virhicii --"3c;7i, I found a numlier of 

'.las'sachusetts papers, and a file of tho Boston Hocorder. '"'liiio 1 r.^^:-^ 
bryi, • ; w r;;concilo 'rhe papn--:- rith the r.1iishy, tho l.v'--':]. 
e ■■? l:.':o na, " : - „.. .,_:v ^ ^.'i.- ' hi" :-o: . v " —;■ 

and sent hi^.. u.l^_^ p.i.por every .voo^t. i .;;c.!.iu., ''haxhanicl TTillis o?:it3 tho 
Recorder. He said "Yes, hat. I gave Hat. my trade, I wa.? a printer, 
^lat jiaa got along pretty r/oll; Hat. is the/editor now." 



Borairl sconces. " ""^ 

■he- - o tlie fathor of KatJianiol rrillis?" -". ; I .:orkocl at print 
T.r, -ntil I r;ot tiroct, and thousM I v7ould give it up to ilat. an: 
'-: nd try farming; protty rougH yet; "but I ?]ot tirocl of tlio 
'tns office." Some tuolve or fifteen years afte.r?rards I r,i et IT. P. 
Illlis at the American Hotel, in mv York. He Had just returned from 
arope r;ith ni- mgiish. wife,, and tliey were sn.owinG off, to tli 'e aimise- 
g^^. ^-P ...... , :_,, ^..,:: V . iiouse. I thought, then, hov; ... ..1 ;« 

jiG srand^dau uisht have dropped on his Imee and laced the shoes of 
i- M- half than oould K. P. with his tiffnt u:. -:or. tionahles all 
?fe_rapped dov.'S; to accomplish ^^hieh gallant act gracofu.lly ujider the 
ircumst 1 . , required some siail. In after years I became a c quanted 
riti; : Jillis, v7ho told m o that the i^ife I saw wit- his grand- 

'athor '>7as not his grandmother, hut that she uas a Virginian, and I the^ 
soinprohcnded her —evidently ^'poor white folios." ^:Jhon the fastidous N. 
>. -7iili- -^ont through Jhe nest, and was shoel^iod at the rudeness of 
^^,..„ . .. ■ ... .-„..-.„,- :v^.,,,... T :".-,-ir. fV:n-!?-i-!t of the old grand-dad. 

ran y ?orn, ha.; she laioun of it, nigh. v- -ritten a hooh ahout "The 
lays of n:-- grand-dad; the 3 oiliest man that over hrolce L^road." 
it Cinnitoati a serious question arose; the posaihility of getting 
through Indiana nith a carriage seemed doubtful. There had heen a eon - 
binuouB rain during our travel throuprn Ohio, and the river, iThieh at 
Wheeling, appeared so InsigBif leant , had expanded itself into magnifi* 
3ev>co at Cincin:...ti, i^-C. -cmen they talked al^out th.' streams in Indiana 
mof ho ins fordahle in consequence of 



Remini^sneBses SO 

tiio Ir.tG rains I, for the first timo, received the idea as a roality 

that there was such a tiling as an iinha'cited country with. 'ridGes — i.tJi 
■ _ ■ A 

.ocncatlon T7as.;:|ttS:t 'beginning. A ftev elucIi talking and duo dol-ibera- 
tioriit r/as decided that Me should put our earriaeo and. all our l^aggage 
on board a little stesJTibcat, "bound for Louisville; that year father and 
myself vrevo to go on board as passen?*ors; r/hile y<MT uncle Kobert wesj. 
to proceed on horsebaelc, riding one liorse and leading the other, as it 
■as possible for a horserr.an to head the creelcs, and pa-ss t^here there 
•as no carriage road. It was my first stearibcat essrperience, and I had ; 
t least a qiTiet time, I bsint^ the oftly lady passenger. The little 
itjat was now and clean; a small cabin separated from the main cabin, 
nd containing four berths, were the accoKinodatlon^ intended for lady 
'assengers, and we had this to carsel^os, We .Yere on the boat several 
ays. After a day or tY/o a p^entlemai^ cane in and comaenced an acquaii^^ 
nee with us, introducing himself as Mi-. Dent, from Missouri.- Ho said 
,e had wanted to say to me that there frould be no impropriety or dis- 
OEfort in my occupying a seat by the stove in the gentlemen's cabin; 
nat as the ladies' cabin had "oeen painted T?hile at Cincirmati, it was 
nsafe to remain in it, and suggested otir keeping it ©pen and exposed 
o the air through the day, H© said that his father came to his death 
n consequence of occupying a newly painted apartment. It was. very 
ind suggestion, and I have always reraeTabered it, and when his daughter 
larrisd Ulysses, and Ulysses becam<3 our President, and r/hon I heajf Ilrs, 
rant spoken of with respect, I always feel -^ell pleased, and remeaber 
he benevolence that chaeterized her father. 



n 



mi&n ^@ arrived at LoTiisville I vras Kindly received by two families 
of your father's cousins, Mr. Josejjl?. Danforth and Mr, Ectoiand Lewis had 
feotli, with their families, resided there four or five years, and were 
partners in the dry goods tjusinens. Mr. Danforth had a family of four 
children, Mr. Le?/is, a son., O^he year following Mr. and Mrs. Danforth 
lost tT70 Of their daughters, leav.ing thon Joseph and Jalia, nh© are 
still living. Mrs. Danforth and Ifr. Lewis ^;5-ore oim cousins to your 
father. At Louisville we found ovr prospects no Tsetter in regard to 
getting through the country in a carriage, and after staying there sev- 
ieral days — as a "boat was ahout to leave for Hew Orleans, prcoably the 



last, for, several weeK.s — ^e decided to talne passage for Sha^imeetown. 

, A _ - 

Your uncle r.o'bert had not arrived with the horses , and as he was inex- 
perienced in travel, we felt r:meh solicitude on his.accGimt; Tmt it 
seemed our only alternatiw©. ¥0 landed in ShawneetoHn early Iionday 
morning; had expected to arrived there the Saturday previous. We had a 
poor apology for a "boat, and accoinmodations were only ^M "by name. Cap- 
tain Dent, who was also a passenger » deeided to l^eop by the "Boat in 
[hopes of finding a Usw Oi?leans hoat at the raouth of the Ohio, that 
I would ta3?:o him to St. Louis. He said a ereat deal to iis aiDOut th© pre- 
I smiiption of trying to cross Illinois by carrig^e, and thoughtwe had 
"better even go to llsw Orleans if we failed to meet a i5oat at Cairo, but 
your father seemed very hopefsa#, and besides, we both felt as if we 
could go no farther imtil we liad heard from Robert, from whom we had 

parted at Cincinnati, sjid had heard nothing for nearly two wee^s. Mr. 
Dent , in 



S2 KEJiHIISCEUCESft 

parting, gave mo a fatherly grip of the Iiand, with an assurancee that ho 
should feel inter0sifoa,in Knowing that I 7/as safely through all tho 
bO£5s and bayous, and corduroys that I might encounter, Tho s^TiiiMins 
■oreoks and miry bottoms were all Gree^ to. me, and his lools: so rjyster- 
ious that I did not imder stand, I was able to interprot it before tho 
end of lay joui-ney. 

VlG rrallied fi^om the bdat landing to the hotel, a short distance, but # 
it waa raining hard, and the Enid #7=18 deep and adliosi-ve, and I rtjached 
tho house very mioh fatigued. It xm^ before brea!K:fast, and after get- 
ting lac to the bar-a'oom firo — tho only one that novGi- -srent out in the 
hoai5C— your father went to lool^ afte:;' the "plunder," a irestern teiin for 
baggage o When he retiirned ho tM^ught. I had bettor talc© some wtiloliLy to 
^3Td off the effects of the morning ^s exposure. It was the first tim© 
I had ever tasted it , and thoii^gh alr/ays an im^alatable beverage to me^ 
I simll never forget how disa'U:sted and outrsged I' was by that first 
taste of Shawneetomi, Oar hotel — the only brich horase in the- place- — 
laade quite ji a cosiBanding appearance froni the river, towerii^g-, as It 
did, among the twenty — 'more or Issg— log cabins and the three or four 
box-looliing frames. One or tiro of thase were occupied as at ores, one 
was a doctor's office; a lawyer's shirigle graced the corner of one, 
caKos and beer another. The hctol lOL^t its aignifioanoe, however, en 
entering its doors e The finirsh ?/.*-' of the cheapest Icind, the plaster- 
ing hanging loose froyi tlie \7allSy tlij floor 8 carpet less, ©soept with 
nature's carpet iiig; with that they w«?re richly eai'peted. The landlord, 
a p«or ^lit© man from the south — 'sats a iiThisIs^ J^eg in the 



morniiig, and a ^eg of whl^qr at nlifeiiit ;■ stupid and gniff in tlie morning, 
toy noon could talfe politics and aT/ase the Yaiikees, and "by sundown was 
fbrave for a fight. His wife Kept 'hevEielf in the l^itchen; hio daughterfi- 
one married and txTO single — perfciisied the agreeable to strangers; the 
son-in-law putting on the airs of a gentleman, presided at the ta"ble, 
earning the porK, dishing out the Ga"b"bage, and talking big about his 
political friends. His rtfe— beiKg; Ms wife— he seamed to regard as a 
Botgli above the ipther "branches of the family, and had her at his right 
hand at the table, f^ere she sat, .Yith her long curie, and with her §^ 
toaby in her lap. Baby always 3eem.(9d t© be hungr;'r ihile siaBEigr was eat- 
Ins her diimer, and so "little honoy" todk. dinner at the saiao tloi0»' 
Baby didn'lf have any table-cloth— Mew manners t© me. Your father *c cau« 
tion was always at hand, to try not to give them the impression that I 

[Was proud, with an allusion to the predudiee felt bgr this class of peo- 
ple toward the Yaiikees. We had a room fronting the street, or-d. eould 
see every one that came to the ferry, irhioh was direcflsr opposite the 
house, and my occupation from Monday until Friday was watching for Rob- 
ert and the liorses* We ^^^ not only wore in gf great haste to get aimy 
from such a <li3agreeable pl0.ce, bi'it were aii^iciis for the sa"?0ty of Rob-» 

'ert, itj^c had •:.ove'x' Before been left to do for himself. Indeed, we were 

a 

all inexperienced and untried* 

X can now recite the joy I felt, -tTheh late in th<? aftem©Oii on Friday 
yoiir father and uncle Robert presented themselves before the hotel. 
Your father had crossed the ferry several times each.Oa^hopiiig.to 
meet the long 



34 Hr.HiTTT:::ciDiTcn!:s. 

lool;ed-for; it availed nothing, Mtt for tho want'-of something else to 
do, and to quiet his anxiety, he kept on the move. Robert had sold one 
of tho horses, finding it tiresome and aiffioult to lead one while he 
rode another, but had retained the best horse, »Charley,« The firs 
•to be done was to buy eg horse. Our landlord was ^ite at his ease as 
a horse-joclcey, and early the next ncmlns there appeared an array of' 
men with their hprses, each hcpin-? to get a good bargain out of the 
green Yanicees. After a few hours' bantering it was decided that wo 
were to have a little blacl^ pany, strangely contrasting with tuo "oble 
bearing of our "Charley" horse. 0\.it landlord w^b very officious throTig|^ 
'it all, and finally closed up his rioming's tasic by having a fir-ht 7/ith 
one of the countrymen. I was at the open window and witnessed tho miol^ 
disgracoi'ul outbrea}^. I had <^ftGn before ^.eard of the western ,??oup;li:ig 
and fighting, but never before sai7 s-. fight, and h©PG I never Liay againf. 
I can SCO hof the landlord, thin, tEill and erect, with his grey IccTis 
floating in the air, using the most unhoaxd of profanity, "clinched J as 
bhoy termed l>t, with a fat, squat ty-leol'iiig beast of a being, each aim- 
ing -t the other's eyes, and each 8'iiuwlng that their dodging powers had 
been Trail trained. The desire of av l:^Qwmit westerner to stand up for 
fiis yi'gj^it^'i" as he called them, ijas the predominant feeling of his na- 
turo, ;\/id v/hen tnese rights r/ero encroaene^ upon, ho Imet? no other 
:*edress than by stren-gth. of rausele; so r/hon the ccjintry.uan called tho 
Landloard "a pint-blanii, mean liar," because he had not sold 'lis 

lorse to the Yankee, it was exasperating, but ^en the countryman saw 
your father 



.$ 



REiai-IISEEHCES. ' S5 

counting out the bright "shiners" to one of his neighbors— the former 

owner of our pony — liis wrath knew no hounds. He ahused Hilton, who 

would not tal^e ahu^e, hence the fight. Some half dozen -^N«*icaelw»wa: lOf # 

the lookers-on separjsted then, and old Hilton, after mopping his face 

with his shirt-sleeve, went into: the house. We then "busied ourselves 

in ■••ettinfi ready to start as soon as possible, and I went to dinner 

light-hearted at the thought of its belong the last meal at tli at place. 

Old Boniface didn't appear at dinner, and after going through the form 
I 'went to iTiy room to put on my outer gear for the journey, I was stand*. 

ing with my back towards the door r/hen I heard a voice Isihind n©, and, 
looking around, there stood Hilton, with his face covered with plasters. 
It was always my Foakness to scream when suddenly startled, so I per- 
petuated one of the most unearthly ^ells— which your father had not 
yet become acquainted with. He was eomong to the room, and was near 
the door when the explosion took place. I do not loiow which of the two 
was the most puzzled to know what ailed me. As the landloard had only 
eome to th® room for the tracks, and we were hurrying to get away, not 
much explanation was necessary. 

It was not in accordance with my ideas to start on a journey on -Sat- 
urday afternoon, but the thing Ifed been tailzied over, and the chances 
for Sabbath observance seemed less here than to launch out into one of 
the broad prairies. We though perhaps we might com© to some raore con« 
genicl place; at least we sh«3u-M be relfe&ved from the drunkenness and 
profanity for wliich Shawnee-bown was at that time noted; so about two 
o'clock we rode out of Shawneetown, 



36 REiniTISCENCES. 

. Before leaving, your father met a lir. MGClintooli, who gave him a way- 
1)111 of the country through which we wore to pass, with the names of 
• the best places for meals and iodgigg. lir. McGlintlclc was a government 
surveyer, and had 'beemll over the country, aiid we found it a great as- 
sistance to have his directions, Tlie first place found on our "bill was 
Brice Hanna's, where wo could find good aecoianiodatlons for man and beast, 
I well remember the joyous freedom we realised after leaving Shawnee- 
town.. All were relieved from the anxiety caused "by our separation, and 
were again at liberty td-pursate our journey, and as It was ##i!y first 
introduefion to the State which was t* be my home, I tried to make the 
dlffiaal-looSlng bottom prairie through which we were passing looli cheer- 
ful and homelike, merely because it was Illinois. Your father susi^^» 
gested that we should n*t make up our minds yet as to the beauty of a 
western prairie froui what we saw of the "bottom lands," and as I could 
not succeed in finding anything to admire in the prospect around, # was 
willing to let the future tal^e care of itself, and for variety started 
a song. The gentlemen were both singers, and I, putting in what poller 
jl possessed, we n^de the woods and prairies resound. After rising about 
two houTs-^e came to a horrible corduroy, and were relieved w&en that 
came to an end, and we found ourselves at a running broolc, where# we 
[Stopped to give our horses water. After 'giving then due tii.ie to slal^e 
their thirst, and the signal ifas given then to move, we fotoid tli^a 
fixture, and all the eoaxir^ and whipping that was alternately adminis- 
tered had no effect to produce a forward aoovement. As "Charley* 



REMINISCENCES. 37 

had always been so relialDle, never havisig departed from his lofty T^ear- 

ing, the conclusion was that the new horse w» at fault, consequently a 

pound whipping was administered -;^pon the poor darkey, ?/ho, fey plung- 

jlng and trying to leap forward, showed his willingness to olbey. It 

^hen heoai-j© evident tliat the troubli was with "Charley," who, when he 

»as whipped, only floundered about in the Y/ater, and then settled hin- 

pBlf down again. Your fa#th3r iQofesd P©rple:sed and troubled, and on 

eioser examination discovered the stunp of an old tree at the bottom of' 

the water iThish he thought might he tli© ©ause # of the difficulty. 

Phere being but one way to get ®ut of -;^ it, he eormaencod another lash 
|ng Of poor "Charley."- I felt like crying, and am not sure but that I 

5ave mysel:^up to that indulgence. Ycur father seeaed to feel every 
lash that he adjainistered to his poor victim, who, finally, with one 
lesperate leap, freed himself from lis anchorage, and it was found that 
p3a0 of his feet had been caught between two prongs of the sturop, there- 
by holding him fast. Joy came to us all when we found that, althoi^^h 
Charley" caide out with a ragged hoof, and looking- decidedly used up, 
m was able to walk, and to talre us on our Journey. Youir fatlj^%r had 
iade up his mind— so he told us afterwards— that on© of his legs ws^ 
•roken, and that he should be obliged to kill him, and leave poor "Char- 
|ey« by the wayside, which woull have been a most grievous thing to him. 
:© had purchased him before goii^ east with Ilr. Collins, in the spring; 
ad rode ^^ from Illinois to Massachusetts on horseback, and then had 
riven him back to Illinois; and as he was such a rare specimen of all 
hat 



RIMraiSCENCES. 38 

Ii;;ie and ologant , his loss would liave 'beGn to us irreparatlo. 

fter the exeitomcnt was over— the carriase having looen disengaged fro 
e horses and drawn baol-: on the oorduroy—finding it would "bo some 
Ex'.-iA^-ll could bo in readiness to move again, I discovered myseir not 
■ 'li h.-.':-rt; thEt my enthusiasm f-or r/estern prairies was vanishing ; 
I v/as approaohing the extreme of what Captain Artus afterwards 
lied "gaudiloupinessj^ so I eoncluded, as my only resource,*%o fetart 
f on a ^risli walk, especting the caai'raige ¥/ould soon overtake no, Tout 
t ?.fl.or iQsing sight of my cprnpaSiions, and loolving about into the 
: : , vxroundings things loolied dubious, and the dismals ¥/oi'o getting 
:.ol:: of i.i;' feelings when I heard a most unearthly yell coning 

rour-h the fo*est , and the vivid reoollection of a panther atory I 

rra not lonr, boT.ote, coming to my help, I turned bacx, and with a " 

Lclcer step thaji I could talce now, hastened towards the carriage, not 
ming whether I was going from or approaching the dreaded foe. I had 
trd that their manner of attacli was to perch themselves on the branch 
a tree, and when within re 3chi^ distance poimee upon their prey 
iry rustling of the branches assumed me that a panther was on the 
ch for me, with a hungry appetite. At last I reached the b^ook, 
are a new difficulty Y/as presenting itself, the horses had become 
throughly frightened that no urging or driving could get them near 
ugh to hitch to the carriage, and while trying to invent some way to 

W it over two teaansters came along each having a large Pennsylvania 
on drawn "by four 



A 



KEMIMISCEIICSS 38 

horses. One of tlio foirard horses— '^YMch they called the leader— had a 
saddle on, 0-a which sat the owner of the team, one of the men loolE^.ing 

-' lordly as if he v7as leading an array to hattle. Your father asl^ed 

-v 

them if they rzould take off their, foirard horjLeSi: and droxi out the car- 

\ 

^ 

rlages the man nearest' — the lordl^yi2)oSlJj|«onae-- -said he -jrould do it" 

for a dorller. Your f at her^pret ending w^ to hoar him, went on trying 

his otm ^ orgies, The man again called out: "Strang^^ I say I* IF do it 

for a dorller." Your father told him he tras in difficulty and nould be 

noioh obliged t~o any one who w#ould help him, The wagoner looked sulky, 

and the man on the rear wagon called out: "Seehere, Br ice, you move alo ^S 

n 

it isn't me that leaves a straiager in a fix like this, "so the *'dorllor« 

* moved on and the other &e>m^^ up , unhitched his horses, and putting them 

to OLir carriage drew it out of the water. The whole performance did 

not occupy ten minutes. When the man was on his horae again and ready 

for a starts, your father bestoired many thanks on him, and we were soon 

on our way. V/c soon overtook the teams and inquired how far it was to 

Brice Hanna's, and were answered hy the man X7hp had helped us. 

We also asked if it Y;as a good place to stop. Imagine our surprise 

when he pointed to the other man and said, "that is Brice Hanna." -^^ 

Brice pretended, however not to hear, 

_________________ „ .„ . „_„__ __. c 

Old I'heumatism took me "by the hand a few weeks ago, and has held his 

grip so tightly that I thought my pencilings wore at an end, but having 
a release from my bondage, and feeling quite lonely, have concluded to 



^yjv 



^ r^ \ 



•■^Kv 



RSMIKISCMCES . -1-0 

resume my recollections of western life. In recording , reninlfcsooncos 

rf the past, I liave trjted to give a trutlifiil description of events as 

hey occurred forty-elgM years ago. I probably have forgotten many 

at the .w^jchSU^i^/^-^/U'' '-'''''^ 

.hlngs that %-erec^^ii^e time of thetiD oceiirrenoe,iSiJife©EsM:feSgttorflaQ' 

( regret that I have noS -MiMf the poiver ^i^ithln me to give a raore high- 
;onod record, but as that gift is not, and the subject not a soul- in- 
spiring one, I nmst be content to suit ny story to the log cabin sur- 
•c^v;idinc.§s which are not \7ont tc elevate. Mr. Hardy, a Presi^yterlan 
linlster, nho used to hai?e his hone with us when in ou.r vicinity, said 
;hat on his first going west, when he attempted to write ho would find 

htiisel g rallliig into log aabin dialect, aiid~log aabin notion* of things 
md that he used to got a volmio of Burns' poeiiis-— of which he was fond 
md read, and then looh at th ^ log ^MM walls of the cabin, then road 

.gain, and look at his puncheon floor, and try ro look at then with a 

mind elevated by the insptSation of reading, end he felt that he had 
lie coinpli shed quite an improved standard, but no such experiment came 
bo' my help. The indescribable care devolving upon a houseifceeper in thai? 
flew and rough eoujitry, and the ways and means to which one must resort 
in otder to heep up a comfortable establishment, absorbed not only the 
physical strength of a Yanlcoo house-wife, bu.t all the faculties of the 

mind had to be brought into requisition in order to secure a eomfort- 

.■^ living, I believe when I left off writing we were on our way to^i-^ 
our night's station, and had been introduced to our host I so vividly re-^ 
Qiembeiithe events of tliat night 



4.1 

REMIKISCEIICES. ^* 

that I T7ill try to give you bohis idea cf it. Brice Karma ^as a tall, 
well-orned man,wit (^.oocl fe^es,^ and nut for ..13 surly oxpre..ion 
-•-:-t nave been called handsome. When we arrived at the house ho di3- 
mou-ted, came up to the carrtgS and told us there uas another house on 
the other side of the swaap, i/here re could stay; that he had hocn 
fi^on ho-me all the ueel'; that his wife i^as sich, and that i76 oould not 
T3C -ceo-idated immsHii. "^-^^ father told him that it was nearly sun»ot 5 
and that he should not attempt to so throush a five--ile swaLip mitil he 
could do it hy daylight, so we unpacked ourselves and moved towards the 
ouse, and -Jith much fear and treinl^llng I set w foot on the threshold 
of Brice llamia's caoin. There i/as mt one room in the main cahln,i7hicli 
T at once perceived was imusually clean for an est.^hlisl-nziant of that 
l.in^. There uere two ToedB nicely nade, ^ith clean pillows and hai^sonie 
bsdcuilts, the floor clean,and the coarse chairs lool-lng as if th-ey had 
^ist been scrubbed. In a large, open fireplace was a cheerful fire of 
oal'. loss, xihidk were mipportec: by on© old andiron, and a stone on the 
other siae* But what pussled rae MM was a pretty xPSzm-^MMiM MM 
^ ^^^ ^^ ^ ^^^. .^jjfeio did not seen to be more than twenty— sitting 
Hith her feet on a chair, ar.cl with. pill oirs arernid her, and holding her 
infant in Ikev lap. Her slrin was very fair, and she Had an abundance of 
;|et blacl^ curly hair, ai^ bright, black f^es. She had on a pretty 
Vimi calicf dress, wh.ich, with her baby's gear, had the appearaiice of 
thorough cleanliness. She loolied a little annoyed when we first went 
in, but politely aslcod ^f us to be seated, ajid by h®r manner 
VQ concludod that she was mistress 



■2 REMIITISCENCSS. 

f the mansion. Brice liad not inaft® his appearance, but lie finally canig 

n, briiigins a stone, v/iiieli he tlirew do^m -;;ith an oatli, saying he Iiad. 

act his eye on that roclc for sO':#b tisiie, and thought it would la© a matcli 

or the one In tho f4re-plaGe..IIv^ comtnencecl pullins -^l^ out tlie andiron, 

iearins at the fire for being too hot. His wife K^^hed on tremljling- 

y, and as&ed why he was not williiig to have tJie andiron roaain, as it 

as "a heap handier than the stone." ITitSa another striiis of oaths ho 

erKed out the pooWandiron, and talcing it to tite door he threw it as 

ar as he eould ir^to the yard. Guch things lAigjit do for the broadcloth 

entvyf hut he did not helcns to the gentry; at the seine time giving 

ne of his nenaeing glances at us. He went out, but returned in a fer/ 

inutes to say to his ?/ifc that tho ¥oni3.n she had there— i7ho, with hor 

tisband and boy, occupied a little cabin in tlie yard — "3hould# not stay 

a his dlgginss ^t.nother night," and with another oath said, "Glare them 

It." "Uell, i7hat is the nr-tter?" ashed the troidbling wife. "Zfettorl 

hy the cursed — «a list of epithets too fearful to repeat; "rnfernal 

ool has let the hogs and gox7s set into w corn-field and destroy more 

orn and potatoes t^s thar eternally cursed neclts are worth; so I'll 

lare them out, finishing off his sentance ulth another string of oaths 

3t to be outdone by Sanoho Panaa's proverbs. 
The poor xvife vTould shrinlc down when the blast was heavie^ , l^ut 

fter ho had gon*T/ould bright ea up again. When one of the stonr.s had 

iibsided, and lie had gone out to anathematize the man ana boy t?ith 

arses loud and heavy, I ventured to as!s. her how long she had, besl 



REMIKISEITCES. 4S 

a cripple. Slie said only a fmf months; t'mt just before lier "baby was 
born she r^oll into the well and brolte soao of lior bones, and vras so 

iTuirt all ovor tliaj slie had not beon able to wallk since, and if it had 
been God's t;?!!! sIiG^wisLod neY©r to have cone out alive. Slie was i?^n6- 
rant, bu.t pretty, and witli a sweet expression; so nracli truthfulness was 
manifested in al^ she said that I cannot esprcss. After awhile the 
fiend again nade his appearance with a large slice of ^^bacon arid corn 
bread in liis hand, and M& with his foot he laicised along a chair until 
he reacl#ed his irife, and seating himself by her side, he tooK.out a 
long boT7ie-Knife and commenced eating. Looking at her T7ith somethins 
^of a subdued tone, he said: "This is the first corn bread and bacon I 
have tasted since I went from hei-e." "Too bad," she reiaarl^ed, pleasant- 
ly; »and what did you eat all th# weel^?« "Hiy, you sec, I was hauling 
for Marshall; Marshall is building a big house; and I have been hauling 
TsricK and timber. When I gfets to the house Marshall uill call t^-^at in- 
femal old blaeS: eooli of his»n to get n^ supper, and the^ — « usual list 
of eapeltives; «fool goes and maKes me scs^ coffee as black as her 
domed old face, and some of them are oussed light Yanli.ee biscuits, and 
some beef that was just vTanaed through as the old bull was when he was 
riHining alive and bellering, and Ym@n you put your feife inter hit by 
thunder the blood would run. Have»nt had a bite of pone, or cosm-dodsef 
or hog meat, not any since last Monday mornins," "Too ?:ad; dida*t they 
give you any iiiillr.?B Bj^gt so; a^sied fo* mil^, and the old blaclc 



-V*-^.:- 



44 KSMXinSCEi\rCES. 

devil bro'oght m© somo ^ust froin the Gow;»l;av0n't seen a sip of Tmttor- 

mill^: or cla^tlDor." "Too bacL." She lo© Iced pleased tliat he liad ISecaanG 
sufficiently su'bd.ued to "bear sGotliirig, 

Wo iiadoPrevioualy calleci for supper, and were siimmoned Intd the calkin 

in the yard, ish&oh was used fm^ a kitchen and dining-room. Th.e woman 

of all YJOTli — -the wife of the s^ea who didn't Iceep the hogs otit of the 

eorn"»fiold< — was standing at a sido-tatole where we were to be seated for 

ot;* evening repast. I have forgotten i?hat we had for food, 'but remem- 

"ber the cleanliness of the rough furnishing, and that a e&ucer stand- 

iiiG on the table, filled vjlth larijf. iSith a strip of "Jhite olotlE laii^- in 
It anyone end raised up at tl&S^nide fl# the sancor, burniiiei , served to 



light the table and the V7hole wmmm We vrent t&.c'k from our sspper to 
wliere the liappi' pair vrevQ still seated, he looliing as if he had blown 
anoth^? blast, and had settle* down to sai^, and the trife trying to loolt 
happy, and smillihg through hsr to®rs. He sat awhile as if trying^ to 
think of something disagreeable to say or do. All at ghqg a happy 
thought seemed to occ-ar t© him, and looking at lis with a maileieu^ sat- 
isfaction, he eosmeneed a furioii^ rubbing and scratching, pushing up 
his sleeves and loolclng at his wrists. lie turned suddenly around and 
as3£ed us if Tire had any beds of mm own to stretch on fer the night, Ke 
had seen all we ^^ tools, from the ©arriage, anfi "knew that we hB.6. no Jbed| 
along, and looK.ed satanically happy when SQi# announced that we would 
all get the itch, as all in the housg had it, and s^rore that#3.^M the 
eiTsed old fellow uho eouldii t Keep Vnd'ie _ oows out ©f the corn- 
field had brm^it the it«h to thea. Such start- 



— ^- -o 



RHUIIISCEITCES. ' 45 

g iri'ornat J on would liavG Tjeenroar-rul !iad I not loolcerl at the honof.st 
face of tliG poor wife, uho, v;ithont iitterir^ a izor-l, showGd plr.inly 
that it was news to hor, aiid I folt sure 4t was only a selienie of his 
ovm to aslve us urxGix^^k^ablQ , Kb seemed disappoint eel tftat he had not 
made a' sweater sensation, and as no one replied to his last effort ho 
settled hirnself to thinly of samething else disagreealDle. At la:-jt, with 
a more extended swear than "before, he said he was tired, and was going 
tc oed; it would do f^r sentry, who could stay in "bed as long as they 
pleased, to sit L-.p late, ^Iv.l I»m no gentry, and I'm groin.?: to "bed." 
There were two uec.^: in the rcos, standing foot to foot, -on tl#e side 
'Opposite the firo-plaee. One was for us, the other for Brice, wife and 
T-iahy, your unele Roljert liialcing his bed on the floor with. the carri?sG 
cusliions, and a 73Uf f alo-rolso , ifaiich had heen purchased in ^awneetoiiFn. 
He evidently f 3lt relieved that he was not under the necessity of get- 
ting into file infested heds. Although 1 did not oeliovo there was any 
dan-^^er, I tool: the preoaution to spread sone pccl:et-handicerohiofs over 
til e pillows, and hy only rsnovins iiiy oi^side sarraents, and putting on 
glcvos, a tiling I could not induce your father to do, felt pretty seear^ 

as to infection, but not quite coiiifortafele as respected the inoodbf mlsie 

\ 

hogt. Being very tirod I 'thouslit-;!^;?-: .would lie down, "but not allow •iay'^^^^=>^ 

self to sleep. Our trujil^s were deposited in the ssarie room where we 
were, and I iraaglned that there had been a suspecisus eyeing throughout 
tlie evening, and that the inside, as well as the out, might prove at- 
tractive, as wo were so evidently inclose quarters, with a 
man; was not altogether at ease about our per- 



46 ::xr;:iiHiGCEHCSG. 

. serial aaroty, T \:e-- very tired^ and liorplieus finally overo£iiiG all r^ 
resolutions and Liade no forgetlfiil of dangez". 

I cTo not l-jiovr iioiir lon^:; I slept,, xfhcm aroused by the crying of baioy 
and the coarse swearing of the father. He sooldod his uife ■##;# for 
lettin'-'! it cry, and t"non cursed -;|the."littlo imp; inp of the devil." 
The i?i-- _ ....;■,:; the child needed earing for, and would not go to s*?loep 
■srithoat it; that it mist he tahe3a-to the Sire and nade dry and eoiiifort- 

^ ahle, but ho si? or® he x?oiJild ms the squall Ins hrat. After a while he 
sprang out of hed and willinp; the child fron under the hod clothes, do- 
elared he iTould roast it, There iias j.n tSfefe flre-placo a large fire, 
made of oal^: logs, which rrere all aglotr, and gave lisht to the whole 
r©QSi, He tocS: ^he "bahy mider one arm, and with two or three hatnds was 
at the -fire-place. He coimaenoed ral-iing open the eoals, still holdlr:^ 
"baby under his an3, siTearirsg teould inaSe a oaclc-log; ^yos, I'll hrile 

■ye." I hept both eyes open, and trembled for tSneqfate of baby, TErhenjto 

^^ iny surprise he seated hii.-.self, earefiilly warsed the dry linen that vias 
hanging by t]iG fire, ^nd in ta^f% raost handy Lian.ier perfoj-^ied all tliat a 
Sood mirse or mother could have done. And nor/ thal^jaby was dry, and 
tlEore was no good reason for trying; as sTTearin^; did not soothe; he 
pressed "the bf'at, iiro of the devil," to Ms breast, and oor.Menoed sing* 
in-G a good Methodist hyTitij in a soft, subdued voice, and had it been my 
first iiipress^on I should have S',iposed hi . .est dovout Christian. A 
i::ore sudden change from the profane to tM s devotional could not be 
imagined. 
This scene oecureS forty-eight years ago, and noEr 



aJ^I.IIiTIB'niTC:;;^:^ 47 



Is as frssh to wy miM as at thaflticie, but perfectly to describe it 
Toaia be iiiipossible. Tae nost pra\ro:feing part of thelsast perf o]rD-iance # 



ras that I./i-^x?. to enno^ It alone, no one to sliare with me the lldicrcus 
(llT^rr of .... „:ic;3ins Wrm, Yc.jur fat nor and imolG Robert bGinsa^fejn?-;^ 
is soon as it mbs ii-;^--'- ^ — yjeTe up and ready for a leave-tsjfei^ig* At 
;h© five-milo liouGe on tlie othie? side o^th© swanip, we found a plain 
leoent f anally, vmo gave us a brealcfast of "common doings, » corn bread 
md ";acon, iTit'aoat avi^ attempt at "wheat bread aiid ehicl^ien fixings, » 
ind froi' tlient wo heard "nore c-f Briee Hannajf. The man ta#ld us tliat 
Irlee 'aad a sood f£;rm, and in his Fay, kept hif-> family ccinfortable, 
iolik pride in having the "best wagon an.d hc^seB in the county. H@ liad # 
ilT/ajss been proud of liis wives, the one xm saw being liis third, but Ills 
ireatest prido was in 2ils peculiar eapaeity for rearing. He en©e toa^ 
,n oatli that he vrould not ST/ear again for two years, fron the faet tliat 
io I'-'ad 'found a uan domi in "Sliawnoe* ?mo oould outs^ear him, and he 
lai^te felt mean ever after. He was true to his vow, but whan th© twe 
■ears had expired, eonanenoed with renewed vigor. The gossip o~^ the 
settlement ;7as, that his firit wife died of a brolr.en heart, that he liad 
loisoned the second, and that the poos young creature whom we soxi,. had 
mpefi into the ytoII to drown herself, trnt the water not being deep, was 
lulled out with nothine but "bruises for^effort. The raan did not bellevg 
l^h story ct nig having .poiec^ed hts second wife, but tho iiglit what 
as reported of the last raJbght be true, 
I7e Iiad left ShawneetcTra on Saturday, iirith the feel- 



4S REIIINISCENCES, 

iiig that it v;as no placo to ^jpend the Sab'jatli, anci finclinci cursolveD at 
a i^till worse place at niglit, t/e did not tliinli it ariisrj to. move on Sun- 
day norning. At the place uhere ne "oT&aM.te.Bted they told us there was 
no plaoe of preaching near, tet# on the^side of the prairie they had 
preaching every Sunday, in a school -houGG, so there bo i rig no place here 
to stay lon^-^cr thaii to breakfast and to re^t our horses, rre set our 
faces northward again, and soon after starting easie to a large prsirie; 
I think it wa^s called "Hinds" prairie-* !PhiB ?/% p^ first introdiiotion 
to a real prairie, &nd 7. imtst oayt: was sorely disappointed. Your father 
had tallied so miGli a'cout their beaut:' that I -J|:%^ expected to feel a 
Icind of enchantment. He said, "youjl'never saw anything lilce this hqf-#>« 
forejtt I Baid, «no;H ^v.t did not say X never sa-,? anything more disiiai; 
and to those who have seen Trestem prairies after the antuF^al fires 
have passed over, leaving them in all their hlael^Lness, with an occasion* 
al strip of coarse grass, or a scruhhy "bush, it trill he needless to de- 
scribe, and I tlilrifc hard to gather beautieB fr-oiu it. 

We did not reach a stopping place until darK. Founfi a cabin i7ithQfie 
room, the tv70 heads alone bein?? at hcne. Thesyoimgiins," as the ricther 
said, had gone to preacMins at the school -i^nuse , two nilos off, We felt 
no inclination to follow and .join in the services, although they said 
that .the "greatest preacher in the sarlcit ^ras to be thar.» me# pe«&ple 
all thought a "power of hlju," and he was "doing a heap of good." - "Fhey 
gave ^^s a clean, coarse si-ipper; had neither coffee nor "store tea,« but 
^%i^what they called "taofuntaln tea," made from some. 



ticrb that grow in that rejeion. It liacii pleasant taste, 01^6 xritli appe- 
tites sharpened by Mnger and tMrst, we laade a very refreshing: meal, 
and and were soon snagly occitpying the one-legged bedstead iM at stood 
In the corner of the oabln. If I hafi endurance to r/rite all I r/oaM 
lil-:e, I would tell of some of the freitfes^ of one-legged bedsteads, and 
also iSive^a description of them, 

I do not recollect f/here we stopped Monday nlglit, but remember a placg 

where we called aboxt nc^n, on Tuesday, and the mistal^ I iR-^^e^ As xie 

- 

irent .into the yard a little i.:^c^, with no ether garment on than a s:ai#rtj 

was mounted on a large white hdrse, \ihlle tiro lasher boya, ii? shi'^^ta 

and pants, were driving the horse around the house, I thought they 

wore imposing on their little brother, and stopped to as5v them not to 

teaze him in that -way, and t* get his olothesknd let hiii di-ess himself, 

I 
Yo^ father looj^^ed .amused, and said I hade, ome too late ^ in the Dea* 

son to. see the prairie boys "ttirned into their shirts, ^ a western cuss-' 
tc^%i of which I will speaK hereafter. Your father called for a pitcher 
of nil^, but the pitcher, with the one turn blsr siUrnished, was suffi- 
cient for ne; I can see thesa notr as th<^ then looted, in their' filth.. 

Thursday, November 26th, we arrived at a very oo:ifortabie-l©ei^ins9'tit'7«»- 
story log house, just before siinset, 3?h e outuard appearance of the 
establishment indicated that they — as the westsjgners say~«wer© in a 
better fix"'«tjian laost of th^ir neighbor a, so ^e anticipated a good sup- 
per, but I sa^'the lady — as sJie- called herself --go thi-ough the whole 
process of preparing the aeal, which satisfied all w cravings for 
supper, -^though n y 



Wk 



50 ' REMiniSCENCES. 



appetite had "been sharpened by a day's ride. I could relate a queer 
experience, Hat am getting along slowly in my week's travel from "Shaw- 



nee.»* Your father not loiowiiaig th^ yeasoja ir/hy I could^eat 40R sup'oer, 

A 

'oelns out with the host during the preparations, asked for an early 
Tbreakf-ast, as we migl#t not find as gojjd a place on the way. Oh, dear^ 
what could I do? In vain I lacged him t© start "before "breakfast, "bat he 
cc3«ld see no reason for so doirg^ and I, in the presence of host and 
hostess, could not explain, 

Tired and supper less I went tooted, smd "nature's sweet restorer* -^^■ 
sc^n came to my relief, I aw oke early, and perceiving, throulfe the 
chints curtains that hung aroLind our 'oed, that there was a light in the 
room, hastened to awake yoiir father, and iffiged him to get off without 
waiting tor toreaikfast. He peere^^ thrc«®^ the loop-holes, and with 
much 'satisfaction told me it was the fire-light I saw, and they were 
preparing our breaJ^fast, Oh, oh, ohi' what could I do? I told h to -Jit 
would "be impossible for me to eat a momthful in that house, and that 
what I has seen the night b»fcxpe was Already more than I couM stand; 
but Before we were ready to ,3tart breakfast was smoking on the table, 
and I had n® altBrnativo bat to sit dawn. Fortunately the lady thought 
1 might be sick, and nmiaging suBaeihere brought -^ m® a cracker, which, 
with some honey-comb that was on the table, made an apology fcs^ a brea&» 
fast. Hunger had so far gained the ascendancy tliat I wcsuld not lodk ^ 
to see where the cracker had been deposited, 

T7e were soon ready to talce up our line of ^^^ travel, and 

to say farewell to our hosts Mi-nc, >,««.!. i^ 

jius-6s, ffline host, hj the way, was 



A 



REIIINISCEHGES. 51 

no mean personage; tallied politics, did nofe< swear; said he had "been 
tMiiking of running for the Legislature; -sesme* ill good humor with everj^ 
one — ^particul^ly himself. Mine hostess had children froaa boys of six- 
teen or eighteen to the wee hahy sitting on the floor, with a darltoy of 
the masculine gender for a nurse; said nurse was aTbout as larg/-e as a 
good-sized dog, and could act dog or men^ey, as hest suited bahy^a 
whims; so havir® a darlsiey she was a mistress, consequently a lady. 
When we were again on our way I liad tiiae to review the incidents of the 
past week. Shawneetowii, the encounter with the sturap at the watering 
place, Brice Hanna, the poverty, Ignorance and filthiness of the people 
I had met, the "blaclc, dismal prairie I had crossed., araffering from -2^# 
pinching hunger , and with feelings better Is^gined than described, was 
feeling that the farther I went the w^tss things I mihdt have to en- 
coonter. When your f at&; er saM "th© "breajfcfast sseaed pretty good," I 
asked him if he thought it had ttm© t®. digest? if so, X would tell him 
of a few things that went to rag^e up his isseal. 

After leaving Shawneetown we had "beemraveling in a northwesterly di- 
rection, malting a circuitous roi#fe8 in cs^der to head the water courses, 
there being no bridges in thdse days. On Wednesday^, about noon, we 



came to the Kaslsiasliia river, wher ©there was a rope ferry. I ted never 

V 

seen anything lilce it before — ^believe it is called cordelling* 

PEBRUARY 1st, I87I. 
Have not been able., ^§f^TX account of rajr rheumatic infirmity, to 
write for several we^s, and I cannot malfee up 



Si-; EEMIITISCMCES. 

my niind to read over what I have wyittcn of late, l3ut imagine tliat al- 
fehough true to the letter, it is ^^I^M fidgety, partaking of my imco^ 
fortable teraperament at the time I wrote, for I was looking Tbaclc to the 

aarlc events of nearly fifty years' standing, under the shaddow that dys- 
peptic eyes can cast over even things cheer iiig. i will endeavor to for- 
get tlL^ trivial perplexities that were so vividly oocupying my mi'^nd 
it that time. I have ^qq-r enahled, throng^ the most of my siclaiess, to 
teep a bright future, and I xSiinS: l still do, hut so many wealcnesses , 
lyspeptic trou"bles, iw irritatiiig eoug^ and bronohial dlffio^Htios, 
km. of late rhaimatic twingis, all conspire to mal^e me momentarily -j^e- 
ipending, and cause merco tXLvj w^nolf under a heavy elmid. I rejoice 
fchat the cloud soon passes away, and I ari left to meditate on the lov- 
ing Icindness that has always surreiunded me. Cast down, mit taroiigh the 
t-oving Sindness of !ay gentle ShepS^erd, feel that I am not for/gotten 
^r uncared for. From the K&sdsasMa river we proceeded to the town of 
larlyle, the county seat of Clinton county , vjhere we fotmd several 
•ram© houses,. th^ first I had seen after leaving Shawneetovm. We 
irove up t© a oeafortafelo loolsing frame tavern, and were ushered into 
iheir dining room, where was a nice firo of hic&ory wood, with a MM 
lean, bricS: hearth, which had evidently been washed that day; lafass -M- 
indlrons, too, clean and hright, I had on3^ time to divest sayself of 
ly outer wrapping when dinner was brought in. 2he nice, roast chisK, ens^ 
1th all their accompaniments, were prepared in Yanijee style, and soj # 
n a nicely wa^ed and Ironed table-cloth, to say nothiijg of the peaoh 
ie, and sundry otfeer things,, Bid I 



REMIITISCEKCES. 5S 

not luxiu^iate? I do not thi-nJ: I aia particularly given to somiandlsii^g 

■b-at after such loathing of foo^d for a weel'., and dire starvatlo^n, tHat 

dinner aajBll^iii, and tHe tidiness and cohort that reigned in tUat 

dwelling, is so indelliiJly impressed on my mind as never to loe forgotten 

After dinner wo ro::e tv.'enty mr.iigs to Grojenville, 7ho county seat of 

Bond county. I went with a lighter heax^t „- a fter iDeing f ed« - nd f eol- 

ini, too, that I r;as not entirely Deyond the Do -.nds of civilization , 

At Greenville v/lierc ne arrived a little after dar^, we i^ent to the 

Blanchardft , the St ought on Mass., faiuily of whom I have before spo^-erc , 

Mr. E. T/as walking the floor wil^ Ms lijjitle daughter , t:^ licev hof 

from crying , and thereby disturb her mot Mr, who was in the room aho^ 

and had an infant a few days old. After supper wo received c^lls frm 

:;in Hills and Di'. iloT^hal 1. rmo had hoard of otir arrival; , and 

cam over from their re^^eotive: offio - ff jaloo fron Mr. and 'va.BSrse 

tehollvoci in a raucll bricl^ mil dins opposite. Mr Birge had a store, 

and/.-as postmaster of Bond county . Kiey lived in the oSisly briclr. house 

in the oounty. Mrs B. was n sister of 1-irs. Blanehard's. Their visit. 

-jas ostensibly a consratulato^y one, and all seemed niach pleased to 

a.lso / ^ 

•e^yoiir fatherjbut I ^jas miACh anase d tc|-)peroeive the cu*io_sity. at 

v/orlc in investi [bating i-Jhat Rind of a wife Tilson had brought out. Your 

uncle Rober^^ too , was tY^^^ thoroushly soanned. In the siorning I was 

1 
invited up to see Mrs. B. -ETho \7as '%itt ing tip in bed, with her nair m 

Ion: liriglets ., and looicing as i f Mig never could be nervous. Tfe then 

:.tarted for our home, being on ly tfmty miles .from our 



destinationi We crossed #ono of tl^& forl^s of SJioal creelv, ^l#loli was 
• then fordablo, and a long prairie, then entered tiie tiiftor las%d Trtiich 
bordered anotB^-^r forH: of tl^^ crodu Winding throu gH the vfoods wit!i- 
ovA any road, xm at last came out ©n a pabllc road dust opene^etween 
Vandalla and Springfield, and soon came in sight of ovx fixture hom©,oar 
house, enclosed, as you will see in lay rougli drawing, by a fence. 



It was situated on the top of a high bltaff , fi'om wJiich there was a sto!^. 

descent on the soath, re aching to isliat.yourrfatiier afterwards made w!iat 
lie called his "bottom fsarm." He built a cabin thereon, and resatsd it 
to Billy Buaan, 

Arrived at the house, we were met \>y a liorsenian who said Ii^ had o^qxi 

»n the loolumt for #ig for several days* I was then fdrmally introctoG«^ 

fc© Mr. Shurtlfff , I iMiAcmeard yot^y fathei- epeaSt of him» He addressed 

ne as an old acquaintance, and; said &€# ^ns^/ b^ father i/ell, wliich 

afterward'-; 
fcnowledge I^ound t© be, that s^ father, beiiTg eolonel of a nilitia reg"^ 

Imeiit, once ^MMMMb. year at «mster,« the oolonel inspected tne sgv« 

Bral coiapanies belonging to the resiment, and S,, beijig a private in a 

3arwer company, saw lay father every time the inspection tool;: plaee; 

nence his ao^aintance with m@« Your fatia;;'?er, previoias to l<davi:as Zlass- 

aohusetts, had written to l,!r. Rountree that he should t©Jio baofe a ^ife 

and a brother, and wanted him t© remain in the house, and board ns 

throwgh the winter. Hot hearing from him, had supposed it was all c^- 

ranged as he wi9hed;he lm# also written to have a Kitch^ built in the 

fear of the house, for i^, R,»s benefit, while wo were to oesuf/ 



A 



REI;II1TISCE1^TCES. 55 

t5ie# house. Juclc.e o-f ny Rurprise, when on entering, to find the houso 
wltliottt ary vcistige of fiimit-uije, excepting tlie front beclroon ^Wneve §0 

little Haj. Blaclc. w&s in full possession, In"tlie offioe" wag tfKplcl 

i 

doB'k and bGOlc-eafse, wliieh John now lias in Qiiiney, tno fr-^ittiiis desl?:s, a 

sheet-iron stove, and -four split-lDOttoraecI chairs. "p!,e room had one rln- 

dow, and a ptmchion flooif, Mr, BIpoIc said Mr. Rountree had received 

your father «g letter, Imt had finished Ms ca'bin and moved into It, 

leaving; air.i irith a fe#iT quarts of corn-nsal in ^ "bag:, and a handful of 

salt ciono up in a -newspaper. There had been quite an araount of money 

paid into the office, "broucht up frcH St. Lcui^ in specie to pay the 

non-resident taxes, and as Mr, B. had not deemef^ it safe to leave the # 

preraises, even long enough to set a meal, he had lived on roaisted pota- 

the# 
toes, seasoned with^salt thgft had "been left him. and sla3fced his thirst 

from tlie (^eev well in front of the house. He had a mattress and couple 

of hlanliets "belonging to your fath er, and these., irith a huffaio robe, 

served for pillow, sheets, and covering.:: 

Mr. R. had rented the "round under the pe?ch trees, and raade atruclc 
pate'.-.;«* h.ad diidded the products, depositln-s your father's share of pot® 
atoos, turnips, and oahh^B^es under the floor, vfttieh iras fortunate for 
iQr. B. in his extreimity, Mr, Blaolc said that Colonel Sev/ard had "been 
dorm, ^"^nd loft word fon ^^r-! to so to his house, asid rGiiiain until ours 
coul:' ho made ready for ocoup2.ne;^; as had al:>o Ilr, Townsond., the Ixgv, 
J€#??se, I sot in tlio office irith Mr. B. ;7hile your father went to 
Je 3 86* Bus an* 3 and engaged hoard for '$M.€^ and your 



ige KSJIIHISCEKGES, 

uncle RoiDert, arranging so tli?.t one could star i^ ^^^ office, wJiile 
other T/ont to his ^aeal^. While t.h5f5 was going on, Mr. S. had clGar^« 
pitr carriage of everything contained therein, and toought them into the 
house, carefully examining every tninls and parcel; and althoun-h he live^ 
the nearest of aay one to our dwelling, ne^r^r -once hinted our tal^iing a 
Eieal v:ith him, though he well -knew we had not t£lr.9n food after leaving 
Greenville in the morning, so when your father irss ready to start for 
col. Seward's, the trirnl^s had to 'be talcen tfiok to the carriage. We ar- 
rived at the Seward's, three miles from our place, ahout sun-set. lilrs. 
Seward, a dear, good T7on an, and Harriet, now Fre.^BroTC, of ChJca-sc, 
were the only iienibers of the faintly at hen e. Before our evening rieal 
was ready, the Colonel,^ith his "boy, Jclm, arrived, fron Vandalia. The 
Legislature having removed from ICasfeisltia, f/ere t^ hold their first 
session at Vandalta that winter, and lerael Sev/ard, ^v,, T;ith his wife 
and nfice, Sally Sle^^aclc, had ts^.en a house there, to -board merdiers of 
the LeeiBlature, leaving their two older children, \?illiELm ^.vA George, 
\7itlx their grandfather. Kie old Colonel uas all siniles, and save me a 
.most cordial welco^iis, as had also Hrs, and Hiss Seward; and it was a 
cordial to ny feelings, particularly after m introduction and experc*- 
Qnee with w nearest neighhor#. I rrisli I could deserihe him as I first 
@m him in front of the 5ious8. Imacine a very tall, lanK 'lan, i^lth his, 
legs encased in a pair ef linsey pantaloons, rough and dirty; over t\^m%^ 
leggings that eame above the Imees, iriade from an old Ded-'blanSiet . and 
tdM up with some tyneOisIcin strings; 



REIIIHISCMCES. m 

then an old dral? over-ooat, end a sJiafc'bjr hat; a saddle girtli tied 

atcound Ills waist, and a coarse, woolen 3carf arotn;cl his neok, and all 

mi«h 
dirty ^ so inar^vjiersonages presented themselves, welcoming yo^Tr fathos? 

"baclc, that I should not particularly rememher his appearance had not ngr 

first iirjpressiione been strer^thened "by further ac^aintance. 

It T7as the SSth of Hoveinher when \?e arrived at Colo Sei^ard*s, and I 
\ tesd g more homeli^fee feelins than for many tireel'-s, ¥a had a clean, eoa- 
fortalble meal, mother Seward and Harriet each performing their part in 
the doroestie d^if-ff-ies, while th© Golcnel tallced politics, and discussed 
the ?^'airs of the Stat©, Their hoi?.ge iiras a"30ut the size of ours, Mt 
had not been divide* by any partitiohs* On the opposite side from the 
fire-place uore two beds, standing foot to foot; there wa^s a scfiare 
fraii-i© over each, fron Mi ich were ®?.spende^ curtains that went aroimd 
the front and foot of each bed, The ciirtains 0^ so arranged as to 
leave a space betisroen the bed and ciirtain, to ■which we could pin otir 
dresses, and by esrpansiveiiess coitld etand within the curtain, and feel 
that viG had all the privacy of a dressing-rocsa. One of the beds ^^^ 
for the Colonel and his wife, and we had the other, Fhile Harriet slept 
in a 3niall bed, T^Siieh, rMring the d^j was rolled mider the Colonel •§, 

After breakfast, Friday ri^rning, yotir father went dotro to the office, 
and said he should not return, until Saturday night. I had a pleasant, 
quiet day \7ith Mrs, Seward and Harriet, IPowards night it began to sn#w 
and blo^, and as I stood by the i^indow— the hotise had but one — watching 
the storm, a loud rapping announced 



58 HEl'lIHISCMCES, 

tlie arrival of more conpaii5% Miss Harriet opened the door and -ushored 
in two respectable loo3iihs gentlemon. One she introduced as Mr. Conovejr; 
altllous^. I v;ell remember tlic loo55:s of tli^ other, I cannot reoall his 
tiane; Tout as if tt had occured yesterday, renember how he diverted him- 
3^ If Of his leggings .and "burfalo o-vershoes, and irith what a satisfied 
Icon he cassed at the fire, and tooK a siir¥ey of the rooia, 1?hey war© 
members of the Legislature froia Sangai-ion, on thsir W3.y to Vandalia. 
Before we had finished our ovening meal, Mrs. Butler Seward oasie to ealS 
on me. She lived about a quarter of a mile from the Colonel's, in tha 
same ;^rcve<, As they had other Goaupany at the Colonel's, she incited 
Hj^rriet and isyself to return with her And pass the night, so we went, 
Harriet risir^-^ while it was yet darlc, to go home and assist her mother^ .. 
^Thile I remained ;^^» broalifast. 

3at-ar5.ay night your father oauie up, bring ins the carriage, and said 
he would taXe us all to"preachin3j" the ne:st day. 

Sunday morning, . December 2d, was odd and pinching; winter had eom- 
menced in earnest. We rode abaat two miles to a log eabin, r/hio^, diir- 
in^* vree^ dajs, was the school house of the village, or settlement 3ohoo|-» 
-master, and -^ Sundays was open to the "circuit rider,"-- 5:^ethodist 
preacher —who came around «onst» a .lonth, and to the "Guaberlands"— 
Cumberland Presbyterians— i,7ho occasionally preached there; also tc the - 
«!^ard-shell3,» and to them's evonl-h-day" Baptists, alpers tolerated. 
TJhen T7e arrived the service had ^ust coMsenoed; a movement was j'lade to 
(iive Ilarrio# and rayself a seat W the fire, while fmir father pogled h#*' 



PJSIII1IISC®TCSS, 59 

lelf on one o-f tlic scliocl house bencl.'es that stood against tlie ^aii* 

fA-„r?,s>r0ac]b.er,^^# Isis and "cfirly , ims a'boiit M" stai'tlng tlie liyirn, MiicL 

fas done "by raacting tlie first two lines of tlie verse, aiad tiion, Trith an 

Lnd0scri"b3;olo nasal twsng, singing to the trne of "Old Grisies," tlis 

(.ines that had "bce'n repeated, Thie was a favorite among then: 

»T:!ien I can read ix^ titu3, olar, 

Two mansheons in the ^ei, 
I»ll Did far-vTCll to everie fear, 
Jtod wipe my weeping eye, yi, yi, and wipe" &c. 

Around the fire sat t3ie# motliers with "balsies, while the "young »iins^ 

mddled down on the floor beside thea© In the ©irele ^ere we were put 



there seemed to "be a misttire of all ages, thou^ of tut one sex; 

the loac^ 
Wie lora^ of ereation with their 'Dig ijoys occupying^ seat s« After the 



riaon — if so it niay Ids ©ailed — ^the preacher sang another "hyme,* 
Bongregation «3?.iming in* It was then aimooncea that after a fe^ mimit^ 
recess another toother wo til a spea&; then ocsiBnencod the preformanee. The 
"yottng'uns" rushed to the ^ire with sticks or ^M Pieces of clapl)Oard, 
and rolled out the eggs they had l>rought for a limoh, and had deposited 
in the ashes to roaei, ifeile the first preacher was apeafciiig. Each 
ounggter ■f^orl^ied manfully to secure his own rights, and showed dispatch 
f Msineos in getting th^a peeled and disposed of "before the preaching 

!0as returned* ^e good mamas wh* had babies, and uho did not wait for 

I 

recess, but had been giving thesa their lun^ during ser^iee, now lit 
their pipes, and loolced so happy and satisfied as the clouds ©f sniols© 
curled opt from under their danbonnets, meanBhlle, the sterner sex pay- 
ing s^.iit to the water buafcet, which stood in the back 



60 KaiiiiTiscEircss, 

corner of the rocan; that perfonaanoe was rather slow, thore helvs, but 
oHe sourd shell for the whole oongregation, so each man would walK isp 
to the ■buelcet and whil© a3f)Ather was driiiking would relieve his lasiuth of 
a heavy quid, holdigg it in one hand, would take the gourd of water, 
rinse his mouth, spitting the washing on the floor, then tai\» liis drinkj 
and while passing the gourd to the next"., would throw his "hacca" in his 
mouth and he ready for a chat. 

The preaching had coiaraenced at ten -a, m,9,and it was not until "between 
four and five o'clool?: tliai# we were released from the vrnMi, I. had 
never, heard hut one Methodist preach, and that was Father fPaylor, in 
the early part of his ministry. He ^^ in Hew England was in those ^^b 
considered a "ranter," hut if his prea@hing was rant, sorely our west- 
ern Methodisi-a was ranting outrantod, 

Tiie order of preaching Y/as for the first spsaiKier to ho somewhat logi- 
cal, and to show forth to the listening audience hie great learning and 
wisdoa; for the last speaS:er was left the sensational, H© would "got 
happy," clap his haMs, froth at the mouth; the congregation respondigig* 
some groaning, some crying loudly, Jmmi, some ©ailing glory^ glory, gloi;;^ 
to Godf When I looifc "bacli ©n th®se meetiias now. Lean recollect hut 
one impression that was left on w aind; that of intense disgust. If 
these preachers had come among the people meelvly, and with an earnest 
desire to Ao good to the souls ©f men — ^however weak and ignorant they 
Klght have heen^ — I could have respected their effort, aM felt a sympa- 
thy in their perfox'manees, hut their 



RSUINISCEITCES. 61 

#irhole manner evinced so miGh arrogance and self -display, and such un- 

kv tluslving impudence as to repel ne, 

^ As T7C oaiae out from preaching I was introduced to Mr, Jesse Euzan, who 
had married 'Squire Davy's d-ugtitfer .,Peggy. Jesse invited us to his 
he use to dinner, miich invitation xie ace pted. The furnltm-'e in his 
cabin consisted of one bed, a spinning-wheel, six chairs and a table; 
some rude shelves on the v/all held the dishes, whi^fe the dutch oven 
R andlihe frying -pan found a place on the floor under the shelves. 
S Jesse had ta^en a bee-line through the wo©^s, and met us at the doorv/- 
tihork «e arrived, with Ms baby in his arras, and as we went in he -^^^93. 
smilingly loolced at his wife and said, "Paygie, this heur is Mrs. Til- 
son." Pegsy, who stood at the table with her hands in the dOLigh, gave 
a grunt and said "how gey,** then looMng at Harriet, gave another grunt 
and again said "ho\7 gey." Jesse then lool^ed at Peggy and said inquir- 
ingly "I reclcon they can put their fix ins on the bed." Peggy said # «1? 
slllow,« so vie deposited our bonnets and eloalcs on the "bluo l^ivor"that 
kivered the bed.tod^took onf seats by the fire. Peggy seemed intent on 
lier ^(^^^^eo oiling, and had nothing to say. Jesse told your father about 
his "craps, « and evidently felt very rich; said he Y/as ''getting on right- 
% smart;" it had been a good mast year — an abundance o^'We^A — and It s 
hogs had come out of the woods fat enough to kill. He thought by aifether 
winter he should bo able to sit by the fire- most of the ti :e. Poor 
child of nature, thought I; and yqmt wants how few, I looked aroiidd th 

- cabin to ^see what attraction there could be for Jesse the cominp- vear 
Peggy iv'^##J:rs%#l^-^ was disagreeably ugly, but Jes^se^al'W' 



k. 



ilEMIrTIHISGEIICES . 



^v^m 



he nas good for viovK, and that nas what he wanted, "for, if she ..as 

■•messed up, she couldii't look pretty j no liov;.^ 

/pi looked to see if there -.7ere any boolcs- an old al ^anac, besrimed 

-ndLasy, hanging against the Trail, ^as all the literature offered . 

■t Jesse and Pessy"didn«t warit boolcs;,« did not thinlc it X7as of«ariy u® 

[- to -be alius readin;" "didn't thinK follis uas any better off for read-n 

; mg , and iDOolcs cost a heap, and tool^. a po-;er of time;" Hw ant so ba: 

^ for raen to read, for there was a heap of tine when they could n't is 

-:-■:'. -t, and could iest sot by the fire; and if a man had lapolis aiil 

ir eered to read he nought; l^ut '.Toraen had no Imisness to hm-tle away 

r- their tiiae, case they could alius find sonething to ^ , and there haid^ 

.--•been a hea'o of trou-fale in old Kaintucli with some rich raen^s gals 

that hadlearned to write. They vi^^ seiit to school, and were high ^^ 
larnt and cud write letters almost as weia^^asa man, and would wrice tg 
M-.o youns fellows, and, bless your soul, get a natch fixed up beforG 

their father or nother iQiowod a hait about It." Such were Jesse's 
honest sentiments, and such was the standard of at least nine tenths of 
the inhabitants that were our neighbors. Jesse's conversation was is^ 
]^.J^:^^,^r^^ younr.: nan, dressed in a suit of blue broad- 

&cioth: it had been probably, ^wo years before, a very genteel su3.t; 
,lb^'ion thei-^^ Slavics, and i't repaired no effort of imagmati on to de- 

! / cide th8.t. he was white at the elbows. I discovered he caxie by in^ii^iBn 
( to meet and dine with us. Jesse went through tic cerenony oiintroductio 

X then turnin ■ to Mr. Porter, said; «See 



RElvIIlIISCKXES . ^ ^ 

here, Porter, I'll get you to nurse -while I runs do^iTr. to the bottom 
of the field, to see if the fence 'is all right; "and, suiting the actio^K 
o the word, dropped Matilda into Mr. Porter's lap. Poor Porter!^ he 
lushed, looked at us, loolced at Matilda as if he wished her among the 
Ihlclcory logs in the "big fire- place; hut as nothing could be said or 
[done, he seemed to be meeXly gro'.ving into submission to his fate, whm 
Miss. Harriet had the benovoience to go and relieve him of his chargs, 
rallying him at the same time for his ai«')(wardiiess. Jesse went and retm-^ 
««* Peggy put the last dish o-Wthe table, and dinner was announced, 
•nhe table was high coming up tp our chins; the chairs low, and ¥;e were 
^0 bliged to sit with our arms akimbo, in order to manage our knives aitA- 

forks. The table was coV ered with a eoarse cloth, five plates were sc±t7 
yJiinno., the sixth bearing the burden of Peggy's heavy biscuit; a teactip 
akd M^M ii'-on s-ooonteside each plate, the sixth cup holding some salt, 
tand the sixth saucer X7as for the butter. A platter with some fried,-* 
a^: another with some honeycomb completed tlie iffis*. Soon the invited## 
guests were all seated, when Jesse, handing Matilda to Peggy^ took tlB 
h ad of the table; and Peggy, with baby on her hip, took the cups from 
tbg/table, and with a tin ctip filled them with coffee fr6i4he Dutch 
oven in which it had been made. "This hot beverage sweetened with maple 
sugar, was not to be -.lighted after our long fast. Jesse seemed happy 
in presiding; praised the bacon; said" it was from a mighty fine shoat 
ti at 'he hated mightily to kill it, but, wo can't live without bacon 
nohow, though I dcn't mind if I^havc plenty of mush and milk. 



axnn I allriw Qattia Qt x;ox d'oa, II' I ,'rn.trr>q o'toj' 

"*"" - ' ' -'"^xv.- Oil. 11 as BiJliJB:.; J-:; ^oXooI ,ai/ ts bo^ooL ^ijoHauld 

-^o .;,Ii;oo,3nJtr. c^x;cr ;30££q; -o-xi*^ altf orf* nl 8soI x'xo:jrolff- 

■V. 8irf ot iiolaaicid'tm' o;fnl 3x117:013 xl^saci ocf 0* fiocisde o&: 

^TBifo elfl lo niri ovollot firtfi os ol QOn cMovoiforf orf* fiari ^olTXfiH .aelM 

>'x fins iiiev . jOb'ZBv ';i-8 slrf tot otii. >rr+ f^^rif^^rt^zHtsr 

,:jOonr"^r.::s 357r lorrnlib Jbns ,0X0'.:; r'sX; _ . .: .«b 

,t;oX BtXsrio orid- js^ilrfc .0 ..- ..j. ^-.*^....w ;.,,. t •-* 

.,,-r .,„^ —srtfifi o* ToI>io :ii ,ocfLil;£s enrr- - j-irr iis oj Idol:- 
u -.'iv.: aoj-.ii:: oYll ,r:*oIo &ei5o© js rlj-lw bo'£o /oc sjsw oXcTsi- oxfT .&;i;xol 

- a'YSBs'i' 10 rraj-)ijjcr ori;f. anlisod' £l.;h:.' (3nJJir< 

, -£• o:;o8 snliDlp/l qiro rl^zia ori± ,Qj-£lq- xioso oSlasJii .--l^jj^ £, 

-ir battJ. ew.ioa rfJiT? toi-^fsXq A »toitiJ<S orii to'i e&\: tooLsr. 4 

yoitv£it Qfit :ioon .isiSM ^riw IjsJ'oXcfiriOo cfnooya.Tori oiioa littvt 10: 
jiT -root ^xiiSO-T oJ- sljlid-sll ariiJbnsff ,oa^:riL -oxrw ,:>o*json II^^ rrxt, 

: Jud orfJribTl- Go-rloo xicM\7 iioxIJ" IboIXll quo rilts lUs , jIc^J^aJ 

-J-Iw Xjo.isloowa oasiovocf iOxT aiitt?' .oibsn noscf i.- - ;roYO 

■^-'M-Sn' Jb9,vr8oa aaaoL . J-Sijl a.toX tjjo -lofls x>3W3ii :T-rj8 

.i:i"i v-tifalLT 3 /.lotl a,j3\7 d-r "IjIbb ;n-.:Oscr ont be -fiLlas'x:: :ri 

-loosd" d-j/oi.i-lw ovll t'riso li:: o:^ vIi*rfj5irj^oJ-Ba f 



HE1.1IIIISCE1ICES. 

;;y She sayg she despises to laal^e imish, it is sncli a spite to clean 

the imishpot. 'cmon I go to tlie oToo'k for millc, Peggy tells me to blow 

Daclc the eream. Wall ye see, I do it, and then dip my niilK. out of the 

ktde that has the creara." Eien he chudaed at at his own wit. Pesgy 

neantime took a chair before the fire and gave Saby its dinner. When 

replenished 
Dur cups were to be =ML¥M Jesse gave Peggy the watchword, who would 

iSLSae our cups to the fire, and bring them loaeli filled, baby nothing 

noved by the ae^. 

Well, I have told you -the particulars of wy first dining fa?.t, and wiU 
aot go into the details of another, as that was the style, and the best 
the "white folks" could do, Jls I had to accept many Invitations of the 
tind, and with the same etiquette, lest the neighbors might tlaink hb 
proud, you may iEsgine the pleasure I teofe in visiting. The Toiiimsends 
and Sewards, New Yorkers, were the only families who had any better no»* 
felons of what belonged to refinement and canfort, within tire|nty miles; 
at G»e©nville were the Blancharde and the Birges, 

We reimalned at Col, Sewarcte about two wed^s. During the time your 

father had initiated yovir tmele Hobert into the office, taken iir. Black 

to Vandalia and reocsmaended him to a clerkship in the Auditor •s office^ 

where he remained several ye^s. Poor B, ^as in a sad plight t© pre^^ 

sent himself before the great officials at the capital. He had^his las^ 

uhlch 
New York suit , wSiich was sadly tattoreda I feaad a coat ^ your father 

had cast aside because it was'fpo SEiall, and "by brushing it up and 

Baking a few repairs it was quite a 



HEIIINISCEKCES. 65 

liwjit. The pantaloons did not suit as well: ; his littlo limbs scGmod 
lost in thiir "broad dimGnsions, 

I "A world too wide v;eflPe tJiey for liis shrunl^ shaiUc." 
Fr, Blac7fv had the most exquisite taste, and hio clothing had been of t.h^ 
•nicest I<:ind, and ho had bec-n v .ery fastj&ious about their fit. 
tBut all r/as gone, and the coarse brogans had to talve the place cf tie 
(Jaunty , irell -poll shed boot. I should lilie to tell you of his first ex« 
perlonce i7hilG trying to bocome an Illinoi s fanaer. It is a trasie 
^■■ory, but If I stop to tell it I shall not reach St. Louis. If •3t2S,mlA.>S- 
^spared mo I ^;^'ill "/rite it oiit , with other things that occurred. 
Itl will not stop to relate any of the oddities of old Col, Seward. He 
was always pleasant to me, andi ^^-after we were in the carriage starV- 
'or Fit, Louis, he eamG to say he was sorry we could not haTO stajSd 
longer, and very confidentially told us that next weolc !.!r. Broirn and 
Harriet were going to be married. I had suspected that soraething was 
brewing, but Mrs. S. and Harriet had hinted nothing, and so did not fee| 

particularly flattered by the Colonel's invitation; I thin:: however, 
they would have, been glad to ^iiave had us, but with one rooia, and oou~ 
B a:ay expected fi^om St. Louis, ¥/hat could they do? and I felt glad to 
relieve then by vacating a siiiall corner of the cabin. Perhaps I will 
OT^ite nore of the wedding, whereon I coiild hang another story. r;e too2c 
a.-r trunlis and all the paraphernalia of our wanderings down to our own 
iKmse, where we opened a trunic that had beeri the depositing for our 
settled clothing, having had but one washing done since leaving horae — 
nearly three nonths before, I aslsed your father if he 



5-^ REMIlTISCIilTOES. 

had a large trmalc ?/ith a good lock, whero I could leave things to re- 

tB^in imdisturbed during our absence; he had. So I filled a "bag of 

things to ho Trashed uhenover the time arrived, and gave it to your fa- 

thc'2' to taSe up the ladderjto he tr-unl^j ag ^in asl^ing aloout the locli ,, 

When I turned around I saw st anding holt upright, my tall friend, 3^rC 

watching the hag and looMng deterrained to laiow its contents — anolcher 
tale to be told. 

We arrived at Rev, Jesrse ToTTHend's about siniset, nine miles on our firay 

t St. Loui?. ?he family wore absent excepting Mrs. ■!!,, with her son 

lEdrrin and \?lfe. Kr, T. had gone to Edisrardsville to establish a sohool, 

Eleasar and wife to spend the vrinter at Vandalia, The house as 

"ft>»A50iTifortable. A large fa.milj'- roomwith tiro bed rooms opening out of 

it, ©/hall TTith another small bed roora at the side, a l^iitchen separate 

'rom the liouse, i7ith an a^iming where in tli: e sumpier they spread the 



table and tools their meals; rooras all carpeted T/ith rag carpeting, old 

'gt^fron PalToyra, N, Y, and "bo^S s 
*^ S in abundance. It ?/as truly heart Gii®r 

±1 gi^ and made me feel that there might y et be some comfort in living 

ti Illinoi^3, Ifrs. T the elder Fas a worasn of intelligence, but had 

been slclc, and was not sanguin e about Illinois; Mrs, T, the younger 

t7 as a sweet -temper ed#, loving i^onran, who probably had, from many ^eaag^-: 

more^ reasons for repining than the mother; she was very cordial, and I 
mad^e up ray mind ki once to li3s:e her, and never had cause to change ^M^ 

feelings toward her, -She mas Miss Durfee, from Palssyra, 1. Y. 

Wg uent the nest day to Edi^ardsville, thirty-five miles; stopped at 

Major Hopkini*, who Kept hotel. The 



RTCMIWISCEMCES. ^ 

ttajor v;as a son of General HopMns, of northern new York, who had beei 
an influential man, but had lost his property, and had died, leaving a. 
iffidou and tuo children. Miss Polly and the llagor. They had^moved to 
illlinoi.:; uith small means for a beginning, "but with all the feelings*:^? 
dignity that their former position had ?^iven them. Madaia was a lady of 
the old sohcol, and a real lady, intellie^ent , dignified, and with rao^ 
deoidodly religious principles, isliich she never put in compromise. 
Miss Polly was smart and energetic, hut with such a higfe seasoning of 
sarcasm that it was said she was the terror of all gentlemen, and had^ 

Imaintained her oxra independent single ble sedness for more than Ssir 

s ■ ' 

iyears. Her "brother^the Major ,was a pleasant little gentleman, with ^ 1 
jthe polish and civility of a Frenchman. He had married a Ginoinmti 
I girl, lovely tempered, and a good hoiislsaepe? whose eossjion sense and 
watchfulness was nuch needed in such a family. At the table we ineikl© 
Rev. Mr. Towns end, at whose h ouse we hs^ been entertained the previnsi^s 
night, and Hooper Warren and wife; llr. Warren was editor of the Edwaaa^ 
svllle spectator, and had ;|ust married a Miss Adamson, of Louisvilte ; 
also a son of Captain Breath, of the Maine settlement, who afterward 
became a'missionsr y, siid died in Syria; Ithinlv he was cousin to the 
Legget's. \ 

From Sdwardsville we started for St. Louis. ^only t?renty miles, brat 
owing to the bad travelling did not reach the Mississippi riiD r untl 
3ust before sunset . The loe was running i n the river so that the f y^^'^^J" 
boat had not been used for several da|fi , ^ipassengers were talcen over- 
in a sMff . Hot Knowing the danger to which 



wc \70uld bo exposed, we weit into the skiff, your father, laysolf aia 
a sontXcraan who had come with us from Edwardstille; and we were puj hed 
off into the mighty river, '^^scjDien abted as rowers, wliile two other s 
stood with long poles to turn aside the huge piles of iee which xToild 
at times rush upon the l)oat, and it seemed as if nothing could sa-ye 
us, and iThile one was being shoved away another wo^ild bo bearing dcf.n 
and stop all movement. The boatmen--if I had not previously heard f#pt 
Br ice Hanna, the finishing of all profanity — I shoul#d have fi ought 
the nost wicSied ana hardened men I had ever met, swearing at each 
other, and swearing at the great banlcs of ice, challenging each as %^y 
caiii© in contact with our boat, to ifcesp out of the way or they would 
send thera to a place "whar^ iee did not grow. 

When we arrived at St, Louis people would hardly belisp that we had 
crossed the river that day, as it \7as at risk of life to make the ^ 
attempt, and I began more fully to realise the da^r^ tlirough which we 
had ^^^^ passed; and now when I look back and thinly of the hair-fereadth 
escapes I was carried through in my early journeyt^Si » it loads me to: 
inquire for what pxn'pose and end was I spared? I liave been but an un- 
profitable servant in the vineyard of Him v/hom I have proposed to m M>*^^ 
Me spent about t\70 weefos in St, Louis, putting up at Hrs, Paddock 's,,- 
who kept a boarding house, 3ho was frora Middlebrough, Mass, Her hi^MKl 

was on a farra in Illinois, and a part of the fsjiuily were with him, wlf| 

while Hadaiu P. presided over the St. Louis, establishment, 
The^^iad eight daughter s 



RSinmSClillTCES . 6 9 

asid one son, the youngost child , then a lad in a store in St, Louis, 
afterwards a merchant at Springfield, Hi, where Mrs, Enos, one of tie 
daughters lived. Mr. Enos ws appointed reoeiver of piilDlic monies, m 
under John Q:iiincy Adaras, to whom he was said to "bear a strong pi3rsafi S' 
lilienens. His daughter Mi.ss Enos, married Mr. Hatch of Springfield. 
Williai:! Porter wlio nursed Pegny's "baby, Has employed loj Mr. Enos as & 
clerl: in his office, a situation nore adapted to his style than hoMtg 
t>a"bie3. At ot, Louis every thing seenied strange, and to mo new. 
Tie sentlomen were from every part of the Union, and those nith xfhom 



4© 



X net were Indeed gentloraen,and them rras occas#ionally|fco be fouud a 
lady, raostly from the eastern .migration. The Preach Oatholio ladies, 
wtth their heaps of expensive finery, and a darKey to attend then ^fegj" 
whenever thoy vTent into the street, r/er-e to in.& a siilD^est of stiidy, and 
the iiore I staled the Hors pre^idiced I TDecaae, At the t aisle I net 
the three 'brothers Kerr; they vrero all single, but afterw^^a'ds inarrlec^; 
and we al\?ays kept iip an acquaMMsss© with thara, particularly Kr. and 
Utrs, Aitgiistus Kerr. Mrs, w^tt ^was a very lovely lady — a PhiladelpM^i^ 
They visited us when you were not quite a year old, and Mr, X, 'i7Si©w.as 
foolishly fond of children , and had none of his omi; said he had s<m2i 
nothing in Boston he cared to appropriate imless it v/as the "ba^Dy girl 
of mine, lir, Elliot was another x^ith Yfhcm I hecajne acfjuainted • 
He Ifcept a large stere for St. Louis at that time, and I imrchased w 
crochery of him. After we^made our purchases he invited us into the 
baclc room, a kind of sitting room^ There was a table in the middle of Wb 1<fc 



^"0 REjnKISCIilKCES. ^=»* 

room, witli irine, oranges, nuts, coffee, and all tlio nice things the 
BarKet afforded. It was a preparation for us. He had known your fatSt- 
er, and seened also. to tal'.e a "uHlglity lilting" to ids Fife; hence theba^^ 
ade. One day I wanted something fron the store, and went to It , Clenens^ ' 
on the s&ne street with my boaMin^ house, made Ly 'M^^' Fureliase, tools 
iDy sraall parcel, and was turning to go cut, when Mr, C, incfaired if I 
was unattended. Finding I was, he toot: his hat, whirled himself over 
the counter, and escorted me to llrs. Paddoc!fc's door. I thouglit it a ## 
stretch of southern politeness, ^t later I Yjiq-^ more of the habits of 
the St, Louisians, and that only a fev/ years before the rod iucn had 
"been occupants of the ooimtry around, and that their visits nere still 
frecraent and unogresionious , not bringing the^ southern gallaiitry to 
tlie ladles to he?ar on their advances • Pretty squaw was their lOst gra- 
cious salutation, and tl#at only when they discovered some trinket alDOttt 
2L;]^dy*s dress that they uishecl to appropriate, and i7hich was often ob- 
tained "by dint of flattery, lir. G, v/as at thai tiracla suiter of Miss 
Ji'lia Paddoclc's, rrtio was a great Ipeauty , and the fl07;er of the fsiaily 
Si e did not acoopt ths Jioart and hand of Mr. C. , but aftGr-v?ards mar- 
Ts. ed Ilr. D, 9f Springfiold, Hr, C. rop.rried into the rich I.^illanphy 
fanily, uhcro Trith hi;-3 "broad acr<::^, his negroes, ajid hi3 iri-eneh CafhcSi^^ 
v;ifo, he 'became absorbed in his o':rn oirole, and he 3 not irdxod ij-ith the 
American population since. 

j lir, John War burton v;a;-i iIbo a boarder in the-**-*^ 

andbeing r. Connecticut YanJ-ec, t7o ^oB^^^^'&^A^St^m^o'^m ' febrMbigt^riTTneer 









^!^ 



'^."^A^vv-V^-^'^rvMv >.^s^Jo.^<Xj 'l^OJ J>.-i..-^43<?-r;A Ji.ws^>_^Sv*CSk^^f .>-t. -O*^ 



REMIITISCENCES. 71 



:e died a few years ago, at Hai-tfofid, iiis nativo place, aavilig aijiassed 
ultG a rortune, and sustained iiigli.oliaracter as a businsss luan, and a 



eoided Christiaia. 

The flir^ S&:)l3ath aftc^ we arrived a Siandsome joiHig sentlenian callof^ 
nd invitoci us to attend churcli, Ue accepted tJie invitation, and went 
ith him to a, sLiali building on Fourtli Street, considered, at that tiuio^ 

little^out in the coiintry. The room was used fos* a Presbyterian 
hureh on the Sabbath, and was the only one in St. Louis* The presLClisr 
^/as Rev, Saliiion Giddings, a graduate <£ T/illiaiiis College, where he 
ad also been a tutor. He was then a bachelor, but aftejnirar^s the hus- 
and of Hiss Almira Collins, and the father of Fs'edes^ie Giddiigs, of 
Liiney. Mr. G, used the room on the Sabbath,, and through the weds, our 
seoi?t— -Biho was none other thala Henri* S. Snow, afterwards af ^iney— 
IresidGd over a school of yofong ladies. Ehese young misses were fyosa 
fee aristocratic fainiiies of St. Louis, and 2ir» Snow — ^a handsome y* 



an, and a fine singsi' — ^as qui$;e a favorite among thesB. He led the 

the 
Inging at^hurch* l!rs, Paddccli, -sfho in hsr young days had been a eing* 

^, and was Btill fond of s^sio, InYitod lir. Si-^/ several ttoos t© her 

ousG to meet your father, and on© j^vening had quite a (SOiapaiiy, apol- 

gisting tc the southei^n guests for getting up, instead of a danes, a 

salm-sinsing, explaining that psalEi-sir-gin@ was a Yankee ansisenr t,« 

The.Paddoc!fcs vTere smart, good haus^oeperg; Kiiefj how te ina&e their 
susc^old^ arrangement 8# ©oiafortable ai^id elegant; ©Quid confers© sensi- 

ly» appear well at a 



22 REMIITISCMCSS. 

/ 

dance, were kind to their fr^fcnds, but horribly severe upon what th^ 

termed Yarikee "bigotry In matters of religion. They called themselves 

to 
Universal Istsi^. and I am sorry to ma^ did not do nfieh honor their Puri- 
tan training. The next Sabbath we wenf t© the MethQdist chapel, the 
only Protestant place of worship in St. Louis, with the exception of 
Judge Snow's school-room, The pulpit was suppli^ by an Englishman 
named Keyte, who preached Methodism on Suday and sold goods through the 
we^. He was -MM of the firm of Tiffany & Keyte. iBr. Tiffany was 
from Attleboro, Mass,; he afterwards mooved t© Baltiaore, and Is the 
father of the Rev, Mr, Tiffany, of Chicago, Tiffafiy & Keyte sustaineii 
a good reputation, both as business and Christians* 
When we §§§MM^- l©ft St. Louis we toc^ with tts a servanj- girl~a 

•KaintucS:"— €ind arrived at our place of abode on the afternoon of Jan- 
then 
uary 5rd* I am tired now,and mast ta3ce a rest, and^^will# try to lool: 

into our hear e as It presented itself on that meraorable afternoon of 

January 3rd, I8SS, 

After ilr, Blacic had left the office, and during our absence, WiI31vii 

Looaais, a carpenter^ had been esaployed to build a flight of stairs in 

one corner of the room, in place of the ladder, and to finish the 
Icltchen* He was to board at Jesse Sudan's, and t© sleep at the house 

with Robert* The raanageiaent worl^ed well for a while, Irat for same-rea- 
son they decided to g±ve up boarding, and Keep "bachelor's hall,* i^# 

They had managed to get a Dutch oven, and a frying-pan; the former #fOff 

baking their corn bread, and the frying-pan for 
codking their meat; .^ -o jc «» 

they had roasted their potatoes In the aShes.' Th&y 



REMIHISCE1TCES> VS 

had a cow, wliicli fuml^ed them witli mllli and "butter. They managed the 
dairy "by taKirig t&e of the large square bottles, that had heen left hj^ 
Slnrpson, and fill*a^^ it with mills, set it aside for drii&ing. They 
then too8c another hottle to hold what was called the stripping^— the 
richist part, containing tlio gtg^» First I should have said that hav- 
ing no millc-pail, they had mill^ed from the oow int© the "battle. tOhei? 
process of turning the "strippings" t© hutterjj was to sit and shaKe the 
"bottle, Loomis shalfcing until la© was tired, and then passing it over t© 
Rolsert, ifho toc^ his turn, Tfhen the mtter «lcaffi,« as^js^ termed lt,th@r 
salted it with seme of the Hountree salt, and using the "butterHiail^ as 
a herverage, they sat town t© ishat S«called a most onescellent meal* 
However "onexcellent" their meals sight have been, surely elegance did 
not reigfi in the cabin. In the ©enter of the room stood the wor^-benoh* 
and the floor was coverM with shavings about a foot deep. L., good 
soull was always Kir^ and obliging, but his infirmity it was to have an 
imdginary story to tell, when the truth would have hees^ ^ite as con- 
venient. He began 'oy saying that thes^ had expected us home every night 
for the last weeS:, and had swept the floor and put everything in good 
ordair for our reception, producing a broom that they h^d saamtfaotured. 
But that day they feS been out t© get nore tallow for siaS;:ing candles. 
Your father rem^rJced that he had made a good many shavings In one day, 
te side so lauch oandle and butter mailing, L. loo&ed confused, and went 
on to clean the rooiE. L. and Robert todk domi the worl^-bendfe, and 
r^aoved it to the Mtchen, whii© I, in ay green traveling-dress and 



f4 REMIITISCEiTCES. 



Iioody.with "broom in hand, made wa;r oti the spsraioa? of shavings that still 



carpeted the puncheon floor* Yoi^r father ,11^- in the meant im©- had gone 
.over to Shurtliff's, and boiiglit a shoulder of porlL^ He hroii^t it hoa© 
|ttst as the teams from St, Louis arrived with— In western phrase — our 
•plunder," The room was cleaned, and we *Bre in a fair way to set up 
another "oneaeellGnt" supper, when L«t#ld us t'he$ had used the last can* 
41e the night "before, l3ut that there. was some deer tallow, and some 
wicRing he h^d got from old Davy's, and some raoulds he had "brought i7ith 
himself. So oooS:lng operations were silspended. I arranged the ttIoK on 
the moulds, while Joicy, the g4rl we had "brought.us, ims melting the 
de«r tallow in the frying-pan, at the fire-plaoe« The moulds were sooi 
failed, and set hy the door to cool, and Joiey washed the frying-pan, 
and commenced the eoolcing process* I managed TTith help of L« to ©et a 
Ids opened, and to find enougli disfees to put on the table, oovei'ed with 
some clean nei:?spapers? instead of a daiaaslc, and while the candles were 
getting haiSer, we were softening.oas* hungry appetites by a ®sad eup of 
coffee, the last of a canister of ground coffee, put into my luaeh "bag 
"by my good mother^ when I left hcane; also the last of a little bag ©f 
suggar froan the same sarefttl provider, L, had slipped down to Jesse's 
and hOBght a tin cup ©f Peggy •s cream, aM with the fried p©r& and 

roasted potatoes some "bread .we brought f^ois St* Louis, and the "batter 

A 

that the beys had "shucB:* from the "^trippings," we had a meal most re-- 
freshing, however homely* 
Before leaving home your grandfather put ii:p a "box 



~1^r 



m* 



A 



REMIHISCMdES* TS 

for ae« &f such thliigs as would "bo ccmfortablG arid proper in a lo#imis©, 

There were 'thro© Tbed. tiolcs, with bolster and. pillot? tides to jnatcJi, 

rea<3y to "be filled, the feathers sent in a bale by tfecanselves. I had 
r 
I alao "beddlns, a roll of common earpetiiig, table and bed linfen sufficieni^ 

^ f or a beginiiig, a set of waiters, Jcnives, and for3s,3, and oiir house-lceep- 

Ing; conveffiienoes, whioli, together t/ith w winter clothing, and, indeed, 

all that 1 had, excepting v?hat I lifov&v'c, with me on niy seven ^edlLs'trip 

over the mountains, we had shipped in October, two weels:^ before im 

started ourselves, and expected to find thm. &% St» Louis on m.T arrival 

there* But u/liat was our disappointment at finding that the boat on 

which they hag been shipped from Hew Orleans had not been heard from* 
not only 
So L. found siyself laolving in houeehold goods, but rd^s ray winter gar* 

^ had 

ments, so I^ought §^^^^ for layself a brovm, bombazine drees, -Mf anfi 

sorae blue and white dcauesitic checlr., to raaKi§ a isorning dress, for e3v log 

establishment, and with the help and advioe of the Misses Paddocli, had 

fitted and aiade them. On inquiring the pri«© of fusrnitur© wfe foind it 

extreemly high, and hoping, ishat'then appeared to b© hopeless, tliat I 

might get the box ijhleh had beei|^ senS, felt unwilling to buy anything 

it contained, that I cQuld possibly do irithout. Portmiately we heard 

of a Mrs* Bright, who hai lo^t her husbaxid, and was selling off hsr fUr^ 

niture, preparatory to returning to Philadelphia. Hither we repaired, 

and bought two oh©rry tables that matched, and fonaed a diJiing tabl® 

Ti?ith air(3ular ends. Here we bought a large bedstead, with feather bed, 

"bolster and pillows, a isaall wa^stand, and locsfeing-glass. 



lyg ■ KSIvII!IISCEN:GES» 

[for oixr bodroom, a tto^I' t,at)le, e.na &lx eliairi* As we w©re leaving, the 
house, Mrs* B. point iiig to a large iDaslcet sghe had paolsied te be sd»d at 
^ttction, said the articles oontalned^ could not be bought for tan dol- 
lars, mt 3h0 did not erpeet they would hrlns moh* witiioiit loolciiig at 
I' he things, 570 offered her five dollars, which (|iilte pleased her, and 
was a fortunate purchase for us, I sa^ on the t^^ a Knife hasfeet, ani 
comQthirs that loo&ad lil'e knives and for&s, and s@ thought it best t© 

#eoure the basSset, and save the e^tpense of these needfuls* I botsi^t in 

also ,* a pieoe of fomiture 
St» Louis, MMMMMiM^M^^'^^^^ psteh, sosme domeeti* cotton fo^ a 

comfortaljle, a l3lue diiming-set, and a China tea-set; i^as about t© mjr 

'some table-eloths, but found that s««h table linen as ©ould be pu:fehas©4 

m llassc.chusetts f6r seeenty-five cents a yard, was selling in St* Louit 

for three dollars; so I hoped again for w T^ox, and concluded t© \?ait-* 

a tale to be told about the table-cloth* 

30 go bacl^. to ■'•.hs fl?st night spent wnd^-'our mn roof, X reoolleot 

traat the candles became h^arf -snough to be pulled f^oia the mmilds. Vtswe 

1 arg@ 

i nails, with points flri^en into a tsgixato bloels: of wooa^ eer^d as one 

jA 

' caMlastio^, the othe^ was supplied ^ v^v^ being wouna around the ©asv 

die and then inserted into the necis: of a glass bottle; th#s« isade guite 

a display. When our neighbor had departed, and we had lighted up ifor 

the evening, T?e all owned up to feeling very tired; so after »0tti«g 

Siiapson's mttrsis spread on the bed-roes floor, with all the loos© 

oeveyiiig of old shawls and clothes W8 could aaxster, we p^signed Joioy 

to her rest a ^0 buffalo-robes spread on the flo0r-=^fher©, a f q^ 



• I 



REIvUllISCMCSS* 7? 

iio-urs I-iefore lis.d stood the ucrl^-ijonch, and "bottreen i-ifhioh Loociis and BoTb- 
ert paci:od tlienselves, ivith their ooats for pilloi7s — finished vp ouy 
aleopins aSJTajTcesaents. 

The next iriorning we ccmsieiieed unpac£:lr^.; do not remen^ber mioh a'boiit 
it; only }iou ricli I felt vfhGn I cleseenSed into tJie depths of Ifrs. Briglr^"*^ 
clotlies-'basket , vrhove I fotind 'cniyes aM forS:sj iron spoons, ^|^" t^o 
nice saucepans, greatox*s, "baking tino, spitoons, and many other things 
that caiae in play, and were usofiU, Befor^T' night vre had another 'ood- 
steSd pat up for Rpbort and Loorais, and the old cot set up in the loft 
for Jolcy, Hlrod a loed and qiJ.ilt fron ^. P.ountree, with whcaa we had 
e:;:pected to iDoard, Vihe:a vre sent for the bed we fonnd they h?>d. "been § 



■blessed with a son, which explained their hastsi" retreat tromovLT dwell- 

i7]g« 

A feitT .years later I v/as presentvf at the christening of tha children, 
by a llethodist minlBter;, the oeremo^iy was perfarnad at their OTm ho'.is©* 
Their naines wers Hire^a Ha^ArKiins Hcnintree, Aaron Htilsloard Hawkins P.ountroe^ 
Emily fi:lfine Haulcins Pountree7-'i?ho afterwards niarried TTr. Bhmm^.y—'W^E 



the mother of Hiraii, \^o riarriad Ellen Holnes* Thej^also a ^^ John,/ 

©thor 
•v?ith tiro or threo^ia^aes attached* 

IJ^T, Rountro© was a Eian of education, a,nd in the earlier times in Ill- 
inois w;?.3 considered a great lingulfgt, I'lsS ^« was a i?oma.n of exeellent 
coiicnon senssj a good Christian, and of a inost ^S&BW..e teiorper; ^ight hav| 
ts:ken a higher stand in g@oiety had she Ijeen edr.oate«* 

One day there had heen some goods "brow^ht fro^s St, Louis,, a part ©f 
TThich were for Mr^ Ro-antrcejhe Qthe for theaa and ycns:^ father tzas out^ 
h© B ® @ m @ d disap- 



'S RSMIIIISCiia^GHlS. 

©lnv.Gd Llir.t lis cciilcl not Imov/ tlie coa^uiit tliat liad oet'ii pai>i for them, 

nd althous'n r.ot rcacly to settle tho 13111, would li'Ke to I^iow the cost. 

reeeiptea. 
loc&ed and found tlio IdIII of tliG St. Louis rierchant, which v/as i^M^^i' 
r ^' 

^ peruisocl J.t approviiigly, and tlion, in a pati-onlsing maimer, aslfced "if 

toie'vj iTliere ITr<, Tillson I^ept 'nxs acaoimt fcool?:? wcnild I 'bring it to Mf' 

e would nalie the oliarge." I found the 13001?: and asilLed him fo-^ th'^ h-ni 

hieh oulti! -pussled hini, suid ho asain repeated i.7hai .he wanted to dOjTmt 

I as if t© savG him the troulDlo, conE?.onced mailing the charges L^'self, 

» lool^ed with iziltxnt aoiasement at my pcrfOCTianoe. At last when he cotilil 

Bar it no lor^er, he joiapcd up and loolcing over m shoulder j s^id'^imy, 

^^had no idea that you i^ere fsuch a s«5:*i7:-0j'»-«i:i^' sci'lbbllng then "bcii^ 

OmevTliat hotter than itij' penoillings -no^ — «and you have laadc the chai^ses 

oi?rQCtly,» X had sowe ambition to shoi? Qff a little, heing a\?aro tlfeat 

[le «vrhitc follc-3 J » /chough jery fi-iendly when I net them, ¥er© nuch per- 

|teeiioJ^owIm#^,\?1mtpil^-a-SsIwit2!emitdIit@i^a, aaEetl;iicfeE?.t feoipedofeer 

9 aiKc. ^ej- had hearn that she sot up night d to help Tillson tjrlte, 

it that nasn't mioh, no how; rm-ier seed her in the »truo!i patGln:" 6.1^-^ 

Blleve she !wnov7ed haw to. hoe, I_ have made quite a disresslon in speal's* 

as of iTr. R. and faiaily, and in deaoriijins thc^ I e;ive the bearing and 

JrdlineBs of thoec fron slave-holding Gtates. If they had slaves the 

ithority was exercised over ther-ij if not, the rAf.-i was the uillini; 

Lave; perhaps not so r.mch. froi^ fear as for the want of Imaging any- 

ling to assert, T h e r> would o e c 



Ci tJ 



RElvm>TISCENCli)S. 70 

sionly Tbe one IM'^e Ilrs* KilpatrlolCj Tfho om?.ld a'lvanc-'^ lior cttxi opinions* 

The first fmr inontli??!* liouse'&eeping waf? made ■micomfeytaT5lc by tlie Stm-» 

kday visitingo We Md no regiilar preaching, and Trltli ry noi? "bc^lnnini^s 

In domestic duties, and t!i3 evenings — trro In ea(3ti Trees., ttTiIcTi X clGVOtod 

t!i copying letters for ycur fathor— I foiin^; tJtit little time fer reedins^ 

in 
The eastern mail cane^^nce in twc wedks, ?.nd your f-j-tlicy "being ^ost- 

. master, he "Jistially h?.d paper;Mn every in.?-ll , frcm all direct- long, and al* 

' thottgh they woTnd ^be \7ee1cs i:n reaeMing u.s, they "br might the latest in« 

telllgenGe from the clTilizcd rrorld, and urero aheitt all I eottld find 

'time to read diirftng the tio^o X tried to have Stinday for Ibool'r', when I 

did not gu to "preaching;,* fThieh tii^o, X felt, rras spent without profit 

and instructton, and iMt for examrio*^ f3?lr.e, w^Jtld have preferred a 

qaiet day at hteie. But there "prere no ?7J.ch Sundays for me, By the time 

aviT "brer^fast wp.s over, and. orr raomlrig ^roiffe ^^ disponecT cf, there 

1701X3 d 7:e ?. tronend<ms Rnool'lng at the door, accompanied hy a conorctis 

' deaaand of "who Iceeps* house?" sonetlnes rrith the fenecKlng ttci^.M ccmcj 

"houso^.eeperg- T7ithin?» sonetiiaes nothing Mt a loud, dnprling «h~c-''"'.-rj-^,^ 

lt-e-e-P-e-r-s4" and vThen the door -^ras opened a "bacterood&^an woiild rrn.!^ 

in TTith a "big hahy en his arm, folloired hy his ?.'lfe trith the yfroisost # 

in "both hei"- arms, T70uld Intrcduce h*s lady, and let n?? Jmorr they JtasS 

eoine for a day's visit, thinlting I was "f^transe oners »ere;« they reolr.- 

Oiied they ought to r:et acOT.alnted-* Being foTr— iRsither inalc or fer.'^ale— ■■ 

who wore anj'- outdoor garsients, the wc'?!?.'^n irore their "bonnets In the hcs»;isi^ 



10 BE MIlTISC]i2IC3S. 

nd added nothing, on going out, "but a little shawl, tijat oeaae aboat t© 

ho iDOttom of tJie waist, said waist 'beins a very short one» I supposo, 

iMiMm as they did, in oat ins without arindaws, and 35:e©piiis both doors 

ipen for tho atlmittanoe of ligiit— windows and out of doors was all the 

laiae to thorn in respeoif to v/ai'ath— and having ooiae froia. a more southern 

lllraato, they had never learned the neoyssity of protoetion fvm^ -M^ 

I thinii dm-ii;e the firai three months the^-e ra-as rarely a Sund^ i/hen 

fc# IV ere not called cii to entiii'tain some of these families, who oaiae as 

if to a shoff, atid would go about the house tailing liP things, and ask, 

Y/hat*S this 'ere fixin*?" open the closet aM asK how we sold plates» 

fhen inforiiieci. tlisjjr wer^ not for sale, oould not s©e a^ w© "wanted suoh 

I luliJiii^ lot," "i igver seed so maa^ togeth^^i^eeonea_^;^_cost a heap," 

(55BIi7"'iid'theiF;p0ff^";^~lli:T^ffi^ 
3je iaost aimsii3s'Tliing''wBuid iy0'"tEel'r'"re^f^s at th^iablQ," '"^Mili'llp, 

lonoy, and be good; see tiiar, atuntee lillson is gwine t# have dinner 

•ight sure. Reclcon she'll have some sweetened bread, eake, and all 

ihem pretty disheslt v/hen they liad satisfied.tneii" appetii»63, and -^il^ 

ialcen a^siuoive, they would ma3<;e a move to depart, and invite us t# go 

ijid Spend sundajr with theai, Ue would thaiiJ. them, and say we would go t«5 

lee theia some weei^ day, v/e did not visit on the Sabbath » We felt we 

rere vary xoetan£tto in toroalciiis up the praotice, without offendil^g thBBi? 

)f all our Sunday visitors, I tlUii^ but en© ever repeated the visit ©n 

Jhat day, and though they were veryi jealoas aiid suspeoious, I never 

of 

aaew of a^xi o:.irfence being given, F r o iii t h e first 



: REnHiscEHCES. ' ei' 



Jamis&y until i$m -MrM April there was little cliange, The mail was 
Tbrouglit in onoo in two MreetB, The mail carrier would arrive en Monday 
^night, a"bout sunset, leavi^'tlie SBail for Montgomery County, and pro- 
ceed as far as Col, Seward •# on his way to Springfield, that "being the 
northern termiiAs of the mail route, ^ir evsnings after »eceiving the 
mall were the "busiest of all others, your father opening and reading 
his letters, while I regaled itself with the three or four week':? old 
eastern newspapers, fhe carrier returned on Ktursdg^ for the eastern 
mall. Your father's 'coisiness had "become quite estenBive, and as it was 
mostly done thrmi^;h correspondanee with eastern landholders, he recelveij 
a large amount of letters, and he generally answered as many as was in 
his power during the two days that the carrier was gone north* He tev% 
a letter-boolfe into which were copied all the letters sent from the of- 
fice, and the task was s^uetlmes pretty arduous. Your uncle Ho"bert 
would commence in the morning and worl: dilllgently, "tat it was impossi^^ 
hi© to keep up with your father's rapid penmansfiiip, so as all lettres 
had t© go In^^ne "book, and I was a fast writer, it "became w priYil^e 
to wield the pen in the evening, She evenings were long, and not imfr©- 
quently n^ would find ourselves among the imall hours of fhursday morn- 
Ing 'ere our last letter was disposed ©f, and our Weflnesday evening's 
work ended. " 

After we had "been about a month at housekeepiiig, Joel wri^it, who had 
"teen on an e^lorlrg trip throu^ the northern pscrt of the State, re- 



tumea. As his cabin was closed, he wanted to stay wilfti us through 

with 
winter, or until he could g^ a family into his h o u s e^ 



■&.; 



V* 



82 KEMIJIISCENGES. 

Whom he could board; so we to«i# htm in» ^© then had heard nothiiig of 
ouy hedding sent hy way #3? New Orleans, mt were ireeifely hoping that w© 
shOLild. So as we were not almndantly supplied, I midertools the Imsi- 
ness of making a o^afortable. For the outside I had material, "but wherg 
where, was the cotton t© be found! I Knew e^eryTsody had their »cot- 
ton patches," and raised their own cotton, Imt in trying to imy, found 
that they only piol^ad it fjaosi the seed in seall qif-iantities, iffiiil© I 
was puzaling layself what to d©., I.lr» Wright brought 'from his fa%^ scaae 
twenty pounds of eottosi in the seed; when separated tw@-thirde would "b® 
seed, and the reraaAning third cotton* I then eoimaeneed the arduous 
tasfe of separating the cotton from the seed, and after smch labor, and 
\7 ear and tear of fingers, I succeeded in getting enough to fill a c€©- 
fortahle* It &ad to he carded and made into Ijats before it could be 
used, v^nA fortunately my ssaid-of-all-worls: Knew how to card. But the 
cards; where were they to be found? After nraeh in^xiry I Iieard of seme 
one who was willing to lend her "Kairds" to a Yai&ee woman, so the cot- 
ton was carded, after about a we^*s worK "^^ SQ'LfSi^ S3a^ meanwhile L. 
had made a ^11 ting-frame, and the great affair of maKlng a comfortabl© 
was eec<Mnplished» The neighbors came in t© see it« 2hey had »hoirn» 

that !l?illson's wife had feorrowed Kairds, »&at reoKoned she didn't Know 

due 
kow to spin a draw« and « couldn't thils& what lOi© ©ould §^ Virith Kairds** 

March 'csss^ at last^ after a cheerless winter, and witS^^t the news 

that our boxes and pao^:ages were a* the msuth of the Ohio ri-srer, wfeer© 

they had b^en lying all 



/^ 



KEMIMIBOLIICES. 8S 

Winter, xmile the "boat on whiojti ■tli&/ ^k^'^^AkM'^MW^'^'Q shipped had 

"been unci0X''goiTig repairs. Anotiies.' tl-iliig 1>o .YGliova VIiq laonotany was tlie 

ocHEmenoement of an addition to oar log iiousG, to oonsigt o^ t^ro rc-oriig— 

a parlor and "bedroomo They wore to "oe fraaied, aiid joinerl t# t>Ae log ' 

house on the north* ¥© also had our kltQhen .daimiey UtiXt, and ?. ^sill 

window init in, go that in April we mooved our coolcli^ utensils Into the 

new establishment » It stood alDout five foot from tlie main, hottse , and a 

roof 03:tended aoross, mailing a shelter from sim and r^in; a platform to 

pasB OYcr Fas also oade. The "iihite follcs" tiiouglit wc !iad"£ power of 

room," and weve "power down well fixed »•* Just before -^^e reaa^* ror-ftfch© 

ocoupanoy of the ]fcitehen, our JcJiey tliougtit she liist qc T;o.c5^ tfs F^t» 

Louis. She lifeed to live with us» Ti/e had been "right geod" to her, 

she said, iMt She had hq^qt lived in one place but a Tew ireetB loe.fore* 

She moaned — longed — for a charge • Poor Jaicsrf she could not re^.d, "W-t 

was of high blood and hearing; said her aothor wa55 a coii:3in of Henry 

Clay's, and when ^q married 2arie:/, Joicy's father,- 'J/Iio vre.s a drinlcor, 

her relations did not ©wn her, and her father I'ept gsttiiis poorer— -poor- 

er, and the children got no "limning (,« Bhs had a preitj= face* Iter 

wardroh© eonsisted, hesides shoes ^jand stoclcizics , of .?. ^roen, flaranel 

petticoat, a calieo dress, a# white dress, and a chooI'.ed crpronj in all, 

four pieees. "When she eame from St^ Louia sho -^oto hor irliito dress ^ 

over her calico, which was not in good taste; t]);e stripce and fi^^res 

Tinheeomingly 
of the oalleo showing ^hroiigh the thin te3:tnrG of the v/hite cambric; 

hut when ahqut onoe a weelc, she would drop her calico to 



^y- T?TrfTTTTXnCT;!TC?lS. 

' TTashod, e.nd v^t on her vfhite ovor her green skirt, with no lining 

■vo r.cr Trai^t,, "hut what rj?>.tnrG had provided, and then to see her sit 
doirn on the floor with her 
MM!W^i^^^^<W^'¥:^^W¥# lap :P'-i5.1 of potatoes and tiiijnips, and peel 

'them for coo!?:lns, with the gre.en shading of her Hress helow, -aiid the 

pirikle develf^pitient ahov<=3, she presented a picture I cannot de^ribe, 

-0 in April I found Diyself mistress of all worlc, with our faiailyof 

foiir getting on mite systematically. In ordor to saoitre Loomis for 

OUT "buildin?; purpoB9?5, wo were i?"bllged to msike him one of our family, 

an« ft w?.s=; only hy dint of close manageiment that we cocil4l keep Mm at 

hi& ^orlCa There were so few carpenters In the country, that every one 

rhe rr^.nte^ a door for his cahin would come to Looaais, and lie would al- 

waj-s promise to do their work for them. Poor L,, ho was goo^-natured, 

not 
p.nd colli d^say no to any request, and while tro were -waiting with iiapa- 

tience ct the slow progro«s of oixr Taeefe, we had to ^at our oyes to %h.® 
little affairs siich as shelves or windOT;T-s#asli that were toeing laade for 
'some »Siiclcer«s^^ca"bin, If we offended him, our last chance for a work- 
man ww.ld he at an end; and we had to see the "building materials, that 
had heen "broufjit sixty miles tor our house, appropriated to tlae us© of 
oth«?rs, Looinise had a wealcneer? for rijlitary promotion, and was eager 
to semre- the good will of the settlers. His efforts war© oroimed witfe 
success J trhen the next year he was coinKilssioned Major Wiillaa LocMis, 
It Tfas more honor than his poor, weaS hiaaanity coiild decidedly bQa2%aM 
while he expanded our worlc lagged, "b'ttt there was nothing Irat patisnoe 
and e^aurance for our dellYe. ranee. 



RailiriSCElTCDS. 85 

VOT a"bont t,wo raonfhs T hBA no rscrvant, a'afl L. -.isod to get up anl r.iaJce 
a :e'ousin^ t^lre, ^a?? a i^icl^-et of col:T ^ator from tli6 desp T7el?., and RoIt- 
prt TTotild go cnit and rcilllk: tho trro cows TJlillg I prop-^TGd th3 "brealvAast , 
lind thmigh It 1^?. my own !iT3ra>?lo opinion j T't'iinJc tlie cr^loin was :is cloanljii* 
^ncl osrieTlj a?? any other th?.t came Trlthln r.'^'' inspection. I iisesS to hav^ 
iTalack Eda coroe eveyv ?re<)I^ to do r^y 'rashins, whlc!ii 3I1G g|j?# V'0iila rittiy 
fend finish xiv unLess she "felt a Imrtin* in h9?.d,« or "rnierli'^ly lilte pji^ 
agea^i* and then she would leave her clothe*^ in ths tul:s aiicl go "hur.," 
jthe finishing anri cleaning up :f5rllinp^ to rrzr sharoa 

In April your father Trent to VandaliSj and en his return brc'ug]:..t a 
little Du.tch girl, 'jhe t?est thine he eaicT tlnit he coi-Id fdind, an.?. ##0h! 
:ili0ueht I^ But to the p:irl. gh.f^ tg6.p- en the horso hehind your frithor* 
She had oa a German hli^e calico cTtcbj^?, a hanctkerchiof tied cvor h^jy 
liea.d, .ana another Mtng on her am. In "?7hich Tras her ^ardrche, TJiej a>- 
'rived about noon, mder ?. sc^rc^hinr?; j^rrma She had light — nearly T;hit3-«« 
hair J (g^ith large, §?oggle, hlsclt eji^es, while hsr sSiin wb.3 fair as an ism'" 
fact's; the ride, howe^/er, of t'^snty-eight miles, unO.QT a hot stLi, ani 
without a bonnet, had changed her -face from -jirhite to rsa, -ehichj iTith 
her staming eye^, gave her a aoTsewhat terrifio appearance, SIig bb.W. 
she ?/aB »di.irdeen«O'5ii*^@0ii) years old, and'4^ ccald do a heapei^ of '^^crls 
"before she had the p^l 'laid !3he had a hig f?sy c?.^o-"onlargSi:;ient of the 
liver— ixat eowld vork lacet til"^ well s-.s cvor« :f^o'3i her sise I should j^^. 
n4t have thought her t».ore th?in ten years old, 1 gr.VG her sorac dinnsiv, 
and then s&o^^ her to hed ■ to get rested, trusting to t h 



-1- 



86 REJflHISCMGES* 

fivture to ;:iefi whether T really upxl«h^lp" , or more to t-^^lce oare of. 
The poor thinp; when rested, i^ndk. hold or wcrlc with a oheerful-:!^^ wi 1- 
■t 'Tnoss and faithi*ulnosi=!^,hat. I folt I hy.."! in her a treasure.^ 
About thin time caLio court -veoS:.,- the first court that ItacT ■beon holr^^l^ 
■uy arrival. After tor ealcfast, as your father was starting forti© 



covii-t-h'^nne, two railes distant, ho told rao he Bhoulrl invitrfetarr art? « 
Mills, home to dinner, and thn adcUtion of a Baptist L®^vrhohad cro^e^^J 
himsolf upon us, I had the tabic set for eight, with araple proii sicns 
for that number, Biit what was my astonj.shmen-^--, when ins L tad df^^'ro In- 
vited guests, they 3s.ept up the cavalcade until Irfourteon had disi'noTjritv'r d 

in f^ont of the house, Some one had told them that weweare to ^ ine 
the coiirtKhtit day, ana without waitii:f3 for an, invitation they pa.gjhed 



o^-^#:- ..i-.niir„. liien would instinctively do. The first thiaN^'oifae- 

_■■: ?.z to repair to the Icitoheri, and put Doruy in'^^ he w;iy of Fern ring a 

di3h O-u iiH^i and oggB, iUon in the presonee of all the b=ir, vih Donis' 

&elp I leK^thened the talble, and with 

g^s6ij^|ff,^5^'^^j^j%^|i^i^t^^ iiiuch pxanniiig and sqiieesins , 

-cceeded in getlins theii^ honory around the board. Xhe chicls;ens, 



whieli would have been ail Batisfying on m^r firyt table, dwincilocllnto in* 
. 2.,, _.iflo--:nco on ini'' iejithened board, i'lie vegetables were dealt out 
,^-5:iinsiyf but thanlis to the haiiij5.nd £^^ egss, ^y di.jtingaished g-uest 
Lioemed full end iifippy, My poor pot- puddinc. I had miae with s'a.ch 
cor- ; ". scbicfaotion^ and the esgaisite oause, it3 acooi^xpaniinent , was 
■- ot aparin£,iy divided, jjiuch to aiy raiatlfication. There W£S 



^- -. ^ •&a^i^^A.^t<JV'• 



rx 









I^GNISCENCES, 87 

s-omo consGlmt ioB In poToeivirif^-^: that some of the gentloraen had disoov- 
3rod the ni??t??to of Intention, s.n& f^ere not a littls mortified at ISsela? 
■^■' lit ion, 

^e o^if^XTfj-'wee^ enteirtairaiient brings to mind another pe^sonags, the 
"cloim cast" Baptiist pi?e5.©5ier, who erm© to ms one Sal^srdasr aftomoon, 
tlBM and jaded j liis "dasiness 'beiyig t© in^fuire about a section ©f Iciiicl* 
YonS"" fptner i-n.vited. lilm to stay until MOBiay, waqIi to wf inconvenienoe, 
a« I cOT'lr', not tliiiifc for some time hoir 02? wJier© S slicralfi deposite him 
fc-r- fho niglit. Tut "oeing decent leoKing and professing Godliness— two 
-;>'■> inc- 9 ■'Milch did not abound in ei3r n^lgh'borhood'^I folt disposed to ez« 
tone' Trliateverx" liosrplt^Hty I co'u.ld. On g^nday ho went witli us to tiiG 
!i?.rd-sftell B^'ptlst Beetinf^^ and ?/as invited t© preasli. Comparing him 
rit";i ^afher Street, ho was mite an ©ratoy, thcnjgJi. I had a wicked feel- 
ing tliat lio fcad a Isetter capacity for oi^Bsnitting and repeating ot^er 

ministers* sex-moms, tJian for ooaposing feimsclf , Holiday hQ tas slcSc, . 

threatened with agao, oontinaed to ^ro\7 sioiCGr;and while I -^10.-3 Iioping 
and Fatohing for his departure, your fath&r infoin3i9d me that' Pl'Lrmier 
WB.B a carpenter by trad©, liacl follov7ed tko.t cal.lx]:ig until oallod to 



preach the §©spel;tlaat !i© had proposed t@ reaaaln a i^il© and d© 
carpenter worfe tliat we •©•or© needing, and h& iyiW had agreed to ^pl^ 
liim« Oil dear I thcoght I, wtiat can I do? "but as the feargain was cowpiet" 
ed, I of 0ourse had nothing to do 'OTit aoguieaoea A gleam of hope oaiie 
in to taJce off soa© of th© disagreeable; in thinking that om- rooms, ©f 



^Idh we wer sadly In want, miglit- ^Inis be fini.thed by September. JWclg^ 
of 'isy chagrin wlioxi your fa t ii or told 



3EMIITIJ3CMCES* 

tliat ?lii3iffiier Uacl jjooii telliiis lulw cf a net.'- elieese-press tliat wGiilcl 

votIz adiaircibly, and as wo were milliinfs aeven cO¥/n, it v;as a pity net to 

have 3. c\edxy» Ifmir father aseQnecl iii'-it© elated iv'itli tlie plan* He fcuet; 

petliirc of i'ivj outlay for the utGnfsils nesded in cJieese-iiii'laiiig; nor the 

J.at)Or :lt. v;<>uld feriiig; upon mo, 1 had riO otlier help fnan little Do^v.gj 

Wio^ poor thirds f vrould worl: vintil aft or she liad r/asl-ied lier diniieo;' difiiies. 

and -j^W^' ^^2.de her IvitoIiQn qoiito clGan, and tlieii get into her cot, ;:oll# 

iiTg herself up lilce a catorpillasr, and aalcinf^ me to "vroS:e mo up v-:;4i'iBt 

jsapper tine ooraes*" 

, About this tiLie '.illiiaixi Porter ca:-ae to us sick, IiaYin^i' chillB and 

fever evsii-y ojlisr day, 0\.it fi-jaily .than conBistod— l.toaides your father, 

iinclo Hobort and r^self— of Locauis, Poytor, Vlxim^&r and KaxTi, i/ho iTorlici^ 
en 

fclie fari3,; siz hune^i^f jaon to bo fod three tijaos o; u.ay; "resides 'uhich 

jrouy father had told all but Poroer that ^-hey could lvi'>fe th&ir rrashi'ixe; 

aono in the hoass, and ssy ooijorpassion for Porter— ?dic v/as of another -.^^ 

style froEi the i"ost --constrained no to taS:e asre af Jiim, Plwsiaer , bo- 

sids?? hi;? mochanieal s3£ill and clerical aooompliahraents, professtad fi^'aat 

taste- in gardening; he had brought eoiiie seedo from !Taw Ungland, and cus 

lAa-ttorc of favor had planted th^i iSi -~ur 3J?-rdGn, UOien he asl'-ed your 

the cyi^&u/^^ 
fathe"^ to gc cut and Icol; at ^gr g».(L * fe.i.n cf hie plai^tG' — ejic. whioh noant 

A 

besidos tc }ie-nr -a lon-^ herticu.ltTiS.-'al discoiDr-se— he VTOiild be turnscl ever 

to me, as it was soiaetliing that interasted u'omsn mare than men* ?lijim:ier 

had a fondnses for inviting company, and would a^ the yesfirngest @f t&e 
settlement to come to se© him* On mxGU ooeasiong, as also Mien we had 

lo 'n "c rt A ?i Ts a_ Y\ v . 



,^1^.. ;-,,.. 



lie wcfuM ascend to the loft {Mp r^.o-ii^'dtcri') --■'■i ■'•:-^:':^-' -: ■[-■I, , - y, -,;■,, i^v^ic 
SarD, come down with a gowri on, ;?.nd pre?;irio irrlth c.ll ti.e aienl^i- of a 
ciaiiop. Svery clay he grew mf?re ?.nd mere odious to me; I ezpressed it to 
your fatlior, Mio aduiitted tliat he wai^ dlsasreoalile, Mt" exiiorted me to 
bott9--' cTisciplln© niy ireelin?rsj anff. nttt to bs anriOyocl "b^ irhat I could 
not rcsLier^, 

One day your fafher oarae IWD.e iritli a KOs^t T70-3:?al tale 'jhicli -jas in 
circulation in the settltiDcnt , and thoiis'lit ve 'had 'loot t ere s(ma 115.1,1 a./ij,, 
I h?^ long considered him a woaTs-minclii^ , .•50-!ieoited fop/ saisi Ms yel;|g- 
gion put on. As Z was le^^is prone thsn tli.-^.n nevr to sIiots- rospcot vrheaese I 
could not feel it, and not to sraother contf?rapt \ihon clisgiistccL, tlio paj'- 
son Had long perceived t}iat,T at least did net revcroncc r.',li.ij lior/over 
dull Ills psre-eptive po-vr^ys Wf^re in other •^irectioni^. ■ Your fathtrr did 
not toll him the oay.se of hl3 dismissial, wt th-at rs au:r fardly T^i-as 
lsrs3 it 7/0U.ld not t>e convenient for him to remain icr^crj ■:ib v;liioli his 
fire ■^a3 Ki'Mlsd, and he said he ?35?w where the c"i<^-^ :.-^~lnch3d tIirowt:jg 
all the responsi'Dillty and blame on me. 

About that time Jai.iefc Blac:^ (^tonmrds Col, 3lc.^lz) ssn': us r/crd thai" 
he was sic^, and should die txnless he could gret otit of Tandalia. anothe-jj 
laatter cf duty fceforo us, lyjt lost he shoirid die, and his lifo 'bo re- 
quired at our hands, we sent for hira to c^me, f>ir farrily -Wi-.B E*adG ii.u<^i 

pleasantcr hy the exehang® of guef?ts* dm- nets^.iDor s«j T'ho h.atod Blao35^ 

the 
and Porter next to 2illf3ons, roaa.g himself huajr in vojj^ins la^ and ral^^ar 

remarhs a730ut our S:eepi:r-\g those lazy dronep. Eihout us* 



fTJV 



hs last of Ausiist had oom^; our ohimiey of logs had 



90 REMINISCEHCIIS* 

been removed to msiKQ way for one of brlols, Wiid^ was to serve both tlae 

new frame and the log part of the hou»a* There had bean a contract for 

bricl^.s; they wex-e to be delivered on the first of Septesnber; a Eiaii in 

Greenville was to furnish thes. ThiiiS: of oux consternation wlien, at 

the time he was to deliver th^a, he coolly let us toiow that h© had 

given up bridfe-raaKing, and there were non&to b© obtained within forty 

miles* There was but one alternative, via:: to get briclaaaikers, and 

have a bric&-yard made at the bottom ©f our garden j ^ioh was speedily 

eosnaenced and rapidly piShed ferward. All the men having t© be fed at 

pur table, we eould do no other way* 
Satur 

^^^ay, September i4th, I8SS, Bird, the head briolc-man, pronoiinced 

the brloks sufficiently baked, nothing but to have them cool enough to 
handle, and then a new ©himney to be cOTKeneed, a brU^t and cheering 
announcement* A silver lining from under the darS: cloud that had over- 
shaddowed me, I, with a light heart, went to wor&, and with the aid of 
Doru^ocomplished wonders in the i^|# oalfe© and pie line, Sorus occaslon- 
ly reminding me that it was Saturday, and that the Kitchen would need 
"a^helPKP;" heap of cleaning, and that heper tins to scrub, and "heper 
Oder tings t© do first we raal£© super," 1^ worl: aoo^Mplishsd I left 

Dorus to her loved tasl: of polishiJ^ every tin, and mailing clean every 
Inch of the little log Kitchen, and putting things In order for Goa*s 
day, as ^e called the Sabbath, Her health had greatly iaprovad, ami 
with It her usefulness o Our f^jmil^^^ was now reduced to six, Loemls 
having gone to perform some of his prossised labor, and Mr* BlaoK had 



in 
vited te# ^tienia a vrodk ^ tliQ Rev. Jesse Tctmsend's family, miQ'h to sy 

' Ills 

relief. eTust before teatiae ¥/.H. Broim, U'lio, with^ife had l3@0n pass- 

liig the sixamer at her father^ s, r©de up, with Harriet "behind htei,on 3^^ 
horsehaolc. Thoro wass to "be a«Mg meetisg" in Bond County. 

It was ^M the practice in the Presbyterian clmroh, whil® the coimtr)^ 
was so sparsely settled, t@ ha^e at ©aeh coaanunion a t^o days •meeting, 
c«Eimencir-g on Friday night and continuing throtigh the Sabbath. Minister! 
•fi'OBi different $iu4^^s of the oountry were present, mid^to tlie Gospel- 
loving portion it was a profitable season. So the yomig girls and boys, 
a' display of their best gai^ents was perhaps the absorbing weatoiess.But 
the unscrtipulousne-gs of the politicians, who attended these meetings 
with no other motive than the purpose of electioneering for thaniselves, 
or their friends, was not to iSy ta^te* Mr. B. had brofught his wife t@ 
stay with me, '^11© he with yo^r father, would gp to the Laiithlin set-* 
tlemsnt, sixteen ^les distant, to attend the meeting. Mr. B, waB not 
J^2SSa a Christian aan, but was led by polit&os and warldly gainj still,' 
he loelced quit© satisfied ^en he told your fathee? fee wa M HXb t'> go 

with him to the big 3se©tir!S» Judge Enos, Whd haa been t{5* m shington, 

SangoB®a distr-iat^ 
and bee® appointed receiver ®f public aonies, for the fflamgaMbaaijilBg^feB^a. 

and was rett^ning by way of MontgOMery, t© talB€/l&«lP^0yt®* as Ms.cler^ 

als© oane» Porter had been sioSi, and for several month# Imd n@ ©ther 

h«^.e than ©urs, and without the means ©f# paying fl>r a dose ©f .sedieine 

We had bsccmie isaich interested in hin, and althOi«5li th# arrival 

t 

%. 't another guest 



A 



• V 



4,^ d 



^ 



93 HraiHZ3CEHCES.4 



sadly intsrforred with u^r limited arjeajigem^nts, :f0t the prospect for 

iAi@r@ 
I, him was so dnooiabasirjg,, that I went with a lli^it heart to the l©ft,-j 



I grepasisd a pleanly laed f@r the Judges ®3i one of t^e rude "bedstas-ds; # 
th© other was left for RoT^ert and Porter^ 4^^^^^ and another wads ©n 
the floor for iDriollajii^er Birtf* After owt gjaests; had retired f®r the 
night, and we were abmit t© lie down, & imid tlasi^iBS essae at the 3r.it©|j- 
en door, and Leesaie* TOioe daaandiiig admitaiioe, iftth Doras* persistent 
refusal to let htm in, arrested ©wr attention, Yrnxv father 'srent t© the 
door end found his neiehl3©r, Joel Wight, holding \>j the i^ne a sic:fc 
horse, ^il© he and L©03siis each has a MMle of herlsg* I had heen feel* 
ing a relief froja th© absence of Looitis that evening, Tooth on account 
of his uncontroXable lofaacit;f , as well as toeing spared fi->om T/ltnef^sir^- 
the sad havoc that would have oome upon r/^ pies» Lest you M^^^ me 

A 

unduly carofui of 'my pies, I will try at seme other tii^e t# £iT7<^ you 
the particulars off jay lEiraft puiapl^in-pie-bakizig* It bqimb Looais had 
gone to spend the night with WrigSit, and finding ¥riglit*s horse eI^j 
had presori'bed a decoct ion. of prairie herljs, and proposed to Wright i© 
cede to sur Kitchen and laoil the saae, telling him ^ that he ?mmld 
find everything thsre oonvinient for their ii3e» 'imxt father of ocms'se 
I)ade them welcoai© to the iaitchen, and ^i all ^tl]&t was in it , ref ea?rlng 
them t© Dorus for whatever they Blight need* DorUa^ who ai^rays was toll* 
ing how wplasusi and lafuss"— Pleasant and laa^tghing— llr« Sillson was., 
stoutly remonstrated against having the herbs teought qu her «rlean 'M 
floor, and the hoilir, that w© would need for washing on Monday, iMde 
filthy from the hoil- 



KELUKISCEITCESi 



liTg Of ivecds, and hor tin dippers end pans used, ^IcJi she tea diss* pal- 

tBhed, fud displayec: eaoJi or. it? own pai-tioular nail on tHe KitoHen 

krall* Besides, there woaia "be- «Jiep83?« folJcs to get Tbreal-vfast for, and 

|o-«.wrow was Cofi«s fiaj?-; « Cod's "boc^ say a not t© worl: <a^_that da^*" 

But pemission bad Ijoen given, and the work eojmemm» I foima sr^self 

loc sidk. and tired iToia Satixrday»s effort to sleep, so I got up and sab 

by- w little window, sppcslte ^li® Icitohen door, so neay thatl^ ^^s 5^ 
150 th© "^^ 

•blised tc^liearer ,of more tHan I could wisJw As the morning was ohllly^ 

^nd but one fire-place on the pranisos, I repaired early t© the S:itc!i8n« 
^M with Borus, imt things to riglits again, and had l>reaKfast in pr^« 
Sress, l-efore mw of th© g-aests eaate to iMe door, to a^ pemiasion t@ 
m thelT foet to the fire» ^dge man ^M M^tlrsf. put Ills head in 
ind asfeed to bo admitted to tSio euliiiaries, and. one after another until 
^0 diniijsrooffl. ?/as qaile deses'ted*^ 
I After I>reakfa8t Jtidge Eiiess aiM Porter started for Springfield, iir* 

trorn and Hs> S&llson for tHe B®M county meeting, leading Mrs* Brwn 

i 

|«d ay self ale-ne« Before the next 2)i0rniiig we had another i?i3it@r» Oi;^ 

bar C3iarloy opened 2ils ©yea upon tiis royijg oal3in walls, aad witSi Jsis 

tol^ f isi; in 2iis mmtJi fee l©©(M:ed-^s laother Kiipatridfe deelap0d'-«as 

if he mis t?/o'inontHs old, and laiow us all* We felt w© had a preoims 

lift, l«at tHe iray te tsOs:© care of it ?/as the pmsl©« it was the iBtH 

|f Septejiifoer, the nights oooX and ehilly, and the days to© ©ool to ex« 

|Ose a thing so tender tc the rcMigh blasts* ¥0 bad a Sheet-iron st©vo 

et in the wall, Ijetween the hedrocaaa; when the wind favc^ed, we would 



t4 I?SSaMlSCEHCES» 

Ifcinale a fire to clroGO tlie "babv, T5?5.t \75ton adverse winds prevailed I7e 
3iad him 

rollsc" In a T:)la:T^et and ta^sn to the KltoH'^ to "be drossQcU 'Hie toilet 

^^ vaas 30on afiaao, asj the T^rGstern i^jl^ felt tliat wator ??ao a deadly appli-* 
cation toy Da'bigs* Tiej l?:8yt their bai^ioa* hoads oo-yerecl with a tJii<3fe 
calico Cnp until tho^'' t^s^q several r^iontho oX.i, in i?liic1ii tiao a "blaoil: 
3-arface irould foj/^ and cover the SGalp» Wie^ would then ocmBasno© a sear- 
son of cleaning "by satiiratins the head i/ith eitlies'' liog or «t»arle" C'^a-ax^ 

Srai-t.oe, and then a;^ it wofiild cNtee ^^ loos©, piok off t-he Tolac^ ooatiHg-^ 

vimia 
As it^-'-suall^ coao off in large^^lotches, it save §§^- a sad leopard'* 

liSie appeara?^^e to the littls "honey** 

"Ii*3* Kilpati'lofe offerscL her sen^icos as rasrse, and staid witli me tw© 

Foe^s, aiid rendered c.ll tho assistano© that shs !^n©w ai'id felt to he ns®"" 

es^jai'^, and did Kraxiy things ths'.t J: ha^'fe no dbuht ^e d8<3as^ unnseessa^e 

SfiG as^ed m<3 the i*irst inorning, afte^ 2 had taSian a <mp of ooffes u^lth • 

s<»ao ligjit 'I^re.id crtBn'&ed into it, ?ihat g^e should get for n^ dinner; 

h-?.d heard the Yan!'eo wc^sn distod sit siioh tiiaos, f©r herself she always 

tools porK and cal)';3age for her first raeal*. I laontlQn this to ^i#f hor 

idea of iTurging tho sleSc, i^jloh est ended int<^ all her othar ws^s 0±* 2:^?- 

agecuent; yet she Fas !5slnd., ?-nd proTbahly oscereisGd mieh forb©a»an«€ in 

S2:atif:?in£; the M§MM. nations of a Yan^es* 



IJui-ln^; the time £*.9 was with so the ehisano^r haS been "built, ?Ir* Blsgfe 

h-.d returned from the Tcigiaseniis, snd I^ with aft. tw9 weel^s old, was ^# 

A 
a^ln reinstated at ^ faall:f »s hei>i,j said family? cansietins of five 

men^ and w5.th no other help than poor little Dorus* Aft e r 



?J2IvIIiasC12ICES». 9g 

^ ^ ^ »»* sent 

Eteut a TTceK I T)ocan to s:ivo eiit,jcur ratVior went jiroiim tho scAt'l,-^^ 

imtll he fonma a cirl, I aalced her vlvcit sne c^uld do. Sfeg said she 

"tyiCt l^eor o:? tlio tnioS patch in soiiraer, siid mill'^ed the coiss,, and spin-* 
I 
mc«3, rlclit £sa?rt 1-n wlntcT.« I ,s.cl:ed her Hot olci she iraa* "iJg© ©Map 

nor I '30 good J « war; fae rcpn^^;-. I fg^juid veaT feiT parents cr cmildrea 
"^■TLcv their ages, She m.ia her mcther thc^^ght sh© cculd «2r©arn« si:x Isitg 
a Ts3^ at spirmlns* and. ahc i':!ist have that .for liause-worS:* Bh© Qcnla 
mills "ri^ht im:.rt,» :ina briiig in -aed, in^jJis fires, and soss© few thiiigg 
to ^:kc Torus* -joi'^ a littlD casiosr, Ijut on the is5iOle we felt relieved 
when at tho and. of tiro focJis aha tront t)ac:k to har laraim^. I dic=t not 
hear cfher amin -^M mitll scs© ten year's siftein?axds, ^h&a thero was a 
groat scare ity ©i" os£:«s aiid tho i'a:rmors iir^re savir^* all they could fes# 
the- St* L0ui-! imrl'et* As r wac abcrat to giv© Bela raiits aiid Miss strat- 
t!?n a rreddliTg ente^rtaiment, I dispatchsd a lad thr©ii^ the e&untrr t^ 
get ^gs for a^ eecTdiiig cal:©. He had Mt little success until he oam© 
t© 'P0TdiitT£.*B, c-ind WS.S refused, cut on leavi^ Kyjj* Fore^iand four^. ©ui 
it ^.H for !r.e he i^-antsd them, slie called him hsx& and said "tlSiat ever 
since hor Jane liv-od with iw she had alius moaned to do us scaae gi.itf., 
Bt3 ?.11UB th^.^jit a scandalous heap en S'ill3©n*s t/iro, and she wmM 
«cnc^e C02SO s^rgs if JsrviD— -hsr h!J.st)ana— -didnn like itj,"' With the 
EtTCT^ foclirg thst prev:^ilet aaoiig the poor whites at that time s&Jj^ 
the Yr>.ti?r^^g, T c,^ti.-^ noY-T wnderstarid how it was that Tm livM se pmo®- 
a^ajF ^Mor- them, and with all the trials cf bei^ in atioh a Gmmimy «© 
had the ooHfidenoe and good will of raost of thea, whioh was saanifeatea 
In various ways,, 



96 KlIUiIWISCENC33S» 

Jesse Busan— wl'ic.rentGd our tottom-rield— had p. wife ifho^e great en- 
joyr-i^nt so&ned to ooncJist in eorairs every cTay to j.nf^ect* !=!!ie T7as trJ*e1| 
quite "by surprise isher. one # day I offered Jier a p^oce of ??5-.?«t, x *.«x<f^ 
Jier war, Yai:^ee pie. Olie lodged hle.vlt^ aM s^id, «T r^.idj\*t thlv:^. yoii 
W0ul:^. .2n£ ^§ the lilse cf that; I alius !tii«¥«>d roaenp; ^n:re all Y^.Y^.Qf,n,, 
but Billy said "don't let ©n that we ItrAt? it ls:?!.s?n it'll jje-^t u'rJr.e tJ-.jmi 
EiacJ,»« I told feer I was proua to -be callec?, a Yar^ee, nne tlipt ^ gjs.t^ 
neod nerei' fear to sroaJ^ et it* siie l©ol".eri in0re(mioiA?=?j r.na thcsr?. naict, 
«33ill5^ ancl I have alwayp. feuM you jes?i s©» tnxt soirae fcl^.^ f.p.7 tn^y 
liave "been here when Yaiifcees com© in, ancl ;fe?tt taK n heap of thl*A»s that 
SOLI don't sajr to ws„» m they say I talk af^elTist a^y ana? «0 no not 
that; iTUt you use a hcr.p of rords to Ynilkees that yotT don't Trhen ycne. 
talk tc us. They g?y, too, you put a lot of m-.sty tvj.c:k in yom-- l:rc;a«9. 
It 1;^ TThat ycu ^osp in a boftlo, pur lass, I "belMr^flB the nsme, ^nd 
they ssy it Is full of dead flies, £,nd fmgs, and crie5f:et# leg??." I 
bought forward iiy little bottle of dissolved p©.nrl a^Ph, Ioo7r.lrv:5 s<» 
clear and pure, end showed it to hov^ Imt it seeJned hfird to g'ive np hsr 
©Id pre;judiC0,» W0"7t3aher l?>, TS'77.^ 

I haire not,ar3 I hoped t© do, been .-Ale to write mieh of latCj s^nd find 
that whet I ha^o Trritten only brings me a y*^!ir in+.o ny wnf^A&m e:!!:p0r- 
Icnce, and will in fiituro try to p.void pr^sine???!, and f^tt^to thirds an'""^'- 
they sugf;cr!!t theBi«clvef!.» w.3 li-?/3d ©n in the u^.al way until the Jiilir- 
cf Tes4, "i^en 3!izr neT parlor, gnd a f^l-oeping-rootti. s^.bo^'e, nas ?50 fsr fin* 
Ished as to admit of oocupanegp, and ^as medkly furnished, to serve the 

demands of comfort. 



EEMIKISCMCES» 9? 

I 

' and to uvcid tlie censiu*e and envy of tlie rr^ltit-ado. After wo Imd se^r- 

tleil aiircelvc:;; ai'^aiii a little nore coiut'ortably, as tc lioufje -.icoonoda.- 
ticnfj, j-our fatlior ssitige^ted tlitj plan cf openirig a siaall tjtcsro, to trinf 
frCG Et, Louis s'aGh go&ds as the natives were noediiig, s-M t© taiSio in 
exchange, imttea?, Uonej-, beeswax^ ujapie-fcugar, t.ncl. sfJieJi tl'lngs as th^ 
could raise, 1:3 tliouglit it ->W^ woula 00 a convenionoe and heneflt to 

' -tlie nei^ilDorlioca; l)ut Iiis strorgeBt inducement was te get up soiaetl'iiHg 
tlicit Tronic'. IntDrsst iiis "orotUer, 'Rovvrc did not liKe the Msiness in 
Ills office ;;-3 he Iiad licped., and did not feel interested in faimiiis* H© 
tr.ou^it tiiero v/cii a cloriifcilup in a att-rc at Halifax "ae coi'ld- get, s.nd 

I wanted to go Dacfc» Your f&ther did not irant hiia to re';iri?n disst-.tisfiea* 
lior did lio feel tliat it U'OUId be tli,(3 best 3i#ov€) f©r ttim, and r.s^att0r# 
of encouragoment propoeod tli« store to ?.»,, and 2nig:gested to mo that ^'■o 
. 'mild glYO Vip oi;x tr/6 little? bedrooms, and us© ## new room, piir par- 
lor, e-s a bedrQojn until vj-e c&alO. build mn&theV), It was g. sa^ iiieonven-- 
lonco t^ me, Tmt I believo 2 did net object, and tried to r^al^e things 
£0 as >7el3. ^-l'y th© nature of tlie case \irouid perralt, H« seeaued to enjC^j" 

j tSie preparation, and r/aa qui be busy in BiaKiiig arrerTgement s f^r recoiv- 
l^S^Pf-oMiis ttie batter fOT a fe-.? aontliss, lait fiiiall^r it lost Its claaTm, 
and ?:aosiesicS.2ieeg again tools, p^ession ^f his niiid, and laSton enstorn^fs 
cs>iue, i»fovJi6. it easier to go in a'nd v/ait upon them, tlian t« l©oK for 

' d. find P.obsrt* !:» I ^^aS•l^Utu ?:n exrperienee iri ia@a«©antile life, ana 
in !feeopirig account b witls. tli© SuoSSsrsfe !P5ie r'.oxt year|' tbo wlntoi- of X8,S4 
■II Ci brielc lioiise at the coimty seat — ^laillsboro — was eorimenced, aiid OLir 



-JL. 



•^ 



us 






arrrji^enen^a ^ade -^r rentier tJTo# fa^. my.. House^o be T^uilt Dy con- 
trco-f.— a onc-stoiT bricl: hoi^.ee. ?ho reason of our giving up cmr abedle 
at t;v- f-rr., wlicrc your f^.tfeor Jiad expecf.ed: to reminyfe^^^^ Tras a 



dispute that siad been ^clng on between <Joi. sowai-d and tho ooimtj oosi-. 
missicnrRrs al^eiTt the cotmty ^ee-t. It ha^, i^een located onttlt^^ of 

A 

SJioal Oreo!t, af.j^oinin.^ Col. Sewarft^a^, ^m ^ e, nile fVom ou-r hm^a, 
and had boon nrtnoc- Hainilte^, aftor H^ilton, OHio, Ool. Sei^rd's ferm^ 
Place Of r3nidoTi03. Things -orl^ed ssootlily for a while, until the nis- 
unacrstandln^^i^.Tnth the cclonel^^erc w ^s a petition to the Isgi^-. 

tf Sg wast"*' ''^'' ^^^^'^^°^^- ^^ «^'^'-^*-3^ '^^at was changed from the east 
-^iao cf the c-ee^., Yai^ -atho- hein.- postmster, was ohltsed. to move 
the po3t-.ox-fioe to.the cotirty^eat. a-, p.ountre^, ^no was cleric of 
oourt, Taa obligod to i.eep his office there alBo; 30 he-^iix-, H,^Fat up 
a ^...11 103 c..hin for hi^ offico, and ym:^ father mde him deputy Poat« 
ma^t^r, to d8liv3T letters between the arrival of the maile. Hot far 
f-cni that time the m?.ile hessji to arrive on«6 a wee&, am it iras onXj 
ncce..ar:. for w.r father to he there .nd receive thSt ^^up to 
he zQcr^ aivey, it T/as ne-rly two miles frcm oar house, h9we./ey,to the 
office, o.nd in winter the oreeic wiuld be so flooded that it was almost 
imposeihle for him to ero^.. Indeed, tt wae a dai^^cms Performnee at 
he^t. Cne ni^tht the mil had ,heen delayed tr liigh latere ^het^esn Yan-: 
dalia an- Hillr^horo, and he had to eros^ the sre^ in the ds*&, with 
the ^ater eeiiiir^. np to the saddle. He a.^a hmn^- completely dren^jhed. 
After he had got hin.clf into dry olothing, 



s'.nc' er+.nr '^tls fitc^T'cr, l;o -'-.ol- mo t1i?t }ie hr.cL tlir.t ilcy fjocji Dlcicos^aon, 

of ■"■^nf-r.l*a, r.ri'' T-_?id employod hi-'- tr- nit -'^-leFin up a bri-jli bitlldliii?, that 

t'o^ilc'. r,ei^r& tor .o.n of-jrioe.', yto:'. ■ ': --ost-cffiee. The bui.ldirii tras to 

hsTc tTTC rccmca, 7. tcld litoii if ''.'■ -n-culd pat t&p four rooius,, instead of 

t"we, i: wciilcT t-alce t"*!''-- "bf'Dj ari'f. gc t5-»G'rc t© live, for I t/ss tired. o:f fe^ 

c''?.r^eT to T'hicli tio iras exposed In cros-sins: tlmt crec^ at all tiJnes ©f 

rl'55?.t, and In all st;=is;e3 of ':^'?.t.er, f spo:*f:<3 fr'r/.Ti the impulse &f: tot f'jelr 

ings at tlio ttoe, 

^(^S40;'^^^i^§ not tht-o^ins anrfclaiins '^Toiild 5-^5r ooinc from It, Ve' 

sat anc". loo!:-nd IntS ,tlie fl^re for ?.vOUt Iialf ar. la'Jfur, then "Erarit to his 

dss"?^, "hroTiTrli* He a slioet c-f par^e'', toolc another !ii!r,??oIf, and ^aiS;''! 

lisve "been thlTiltini* ever lih-^.t yw. seid ab'fjat sovin?; into tovmy ?mcl now I 

itI.IH (1T5T7 a pinn of -i "wiijiOj nnd ycysi snsy cirna-T anotSiaa!*, ana \r':J v/ill osii3-» 

par-e, nn-^l doolde oii T/Ii-t !feln<3 '>:f ;''• "MJLldiJiS to put tlPo" So v/e botli wen^ 

trs wor*?^, -aM e?-oJi d^^s^ a plfttn-, and Vneu cov^e^od^ and changad,, ana set-- 

tlerl np^n, TT^.Pt "both tlio^icliit i70uZr! "bo ab<3-xt rigftt, and l;sfo?.'-3 T^e wont 

to Tj.?a hn,?. the '^3;5lTi.n'?9- 5.11 dool:"r3^} a fniTjg tte.t noltlxer of ii^ Jiad 

f-^^Tsfit c-f tTir^cje liouTo T3ij:roye» I nlll t'^vc yoii a drawiiig, shmiii^: tStQ 

->T-,r c-^ t?ie- flr^'-^t tc'lc"?. ^J.ouse e'^rtr "biillt i"c HOTitiycnisrjr counter, ©f rfitli-- 

,1K t^yonty miles of It* TI'Xb vt^^ the wint>er of .tS2Ji-25» Diekc3T-soii oam- 

Boyi<5c<' h5.c ■bricl^vjr.ja'd in tfee ca"?!^'' ;=;pri}is of '25, and promised a house 

v'^.p^''^ fcr of<^iTp?nov V/ t7i(^ f.'x-fi'tis f«lloi^i:!ig, *36; Ijut alaslf f©r i.*©misa.5 

l>, wa'3 n 'saa'rt iTiislnoss ^n^n, a gentl0?»mnly fello^a", b'uit "b,? some talgcJiaiiOg: 

?».0 ■!!^?.'^- O'^ing Jripre tlian. Ji.e 'aa<1 mer.n^ of Tsaj^'iri^!, j G2:id j'cur fatlicr iiq.b 

oTDllged to t3]fee a "bill ©f sale of all the iwicslr.^ tMt ^ 8 r -g bsiijg 



^^^ RE'IIITISaEfTCEG. 

I mxclc, les'!. 7).»s c--;U1;crf3 aboiaa. clalii tlien, am t!ieTel>5P w. slionlcl loss 
^ ow }i'?tiso. ThG o?igin?,l plan wrts -or ::. one st.D-y coT.tase* Your fathnr 
I caine in one rlEiy, and aslcecl If I ?rouId etject to iia-ln^ It m/»e two ^^# 
^-torios, srlvins as- a ve^son that ho hnd -Ireadr ^.:^-9iir?fid ^^m-e im^ ^or 
SidCf^rson'^ r!--bts than womlfi eoTsr the expense of a one -to-mr !l?n•^.^o„ 
The thing nem^cl bo f oi-i^.iaahle , that it was c^iiite an alam. A tvr^ stc-|^ 
brl©^ hcrase aj-oiis the lo^ cabins: it i-Guld never rto. what i-rmilc?. tho 
natiYo<? s-7? and hew should I feel -lo h-ve tho eaye of ^loh a K-nsioin? 
ERt th9 thJr^A: Fa-? ^e^ldel upon, and f^y father se^snod ^ondeTfiiUj ^m^i 
pleased* 

Tn Ooteljor of 1835, anotl'eT n^shle h^y was given us* I ^ad. oociTplsa 
J my paS-lw foy ?, be^yoom, ana John was rmm m©!j»e c«foytaTbI;«f -^migec? nns 
I©«5gea than was his el(!ea? brother, wh® was two ysar^^j his senio-.^ i h-a 
mado the ^eq!:iiilntanse 9f l!fs. -Powneond, ^© ^s ritH ma, an^i r,g.T-^ine^ 
mntll John Tras a weefe ®M. She h^d ^lla-^ftsrwards l^s,^ HtnoKle^---^ 
with her* ''^hor-^' w-^r. -s»,a a«,^ 
am -JTiiia^ ml the ner: fealty r.a<^ tA ^^„r, 
««.ld he Fa^ her «Mbher,« a.^^ .he ^onld h^y. i,tr^ ,^ ,, ; ,-. . 

^^ ^^^'- '"^'^ ^-^^ ^-^ -W ana c^, .eoause i. 
pater Winie ha(l ho.hc Don, ho w<.^lc, h..,. .. ^,,.., , , 

BeM went h-mo:, T?00etta--<eili,a Brai^.^.. -^...,..- 

^he 3.xtchon, m .he .cul, ao r^thing out cf it. si. 



a n 



-■-■ns "til oiii. into thi; dlr,i^r,;-?:Of. j:;, ^n^ d.c tiK;.. family -t^asMiiiE. Jaratever 

tli«r>e was 

^ : ' "' , ^JL.": rii"::: ■: l.- "': i'.Tw,c'U3;tlnan done, x'cr a ■aiilie. 
/\ ' . 

"Iiu i.-.oxt year,^ tlio Coiober ^f 1336^ I had ^--r-OKilscd Cale"b and Luc^- a 
'■-.csition, or, ^as t>i.o ne£j"oes crll it j -r^ "lor^T "brdafi," their tesic. for a - 
lOiTg ^Y|slt« xli,'? tirL-.o I had e.TTP:V.Qed. for ?-Jielr *lvros.d* was wSien ^our 
f : '.^GT ;A:ad uncle r?.r."bor'^ Tre:'-e>i :?>sa"n.t , asid ' <?xpe(!itBd ta Tiave no family 
'. .-.'; mygei..-' : ;, '"■- , -to Qhil'Ton. and ?i ''^ifirs fiOynKRis?, w-xo hs:d a fo.r 
: •:•}: -I'l,:: l^rror-sfeO'i.e into th-? set'^.le^.ont, n^e T'^.s 9. homeslsS: si'rl; Jiad # 
■ .- "•" ■ ■-■'■■* .^^.'i '.'^.r-ol .lr,i-. ?;lt'i Tier ■b7*nt'fier » 3 familsr and Jier fat?u3r,» ijJi© 

.. o"iilt5.7-'tio:i -blL-^/n liit3 Oiiildron, "Tfe liadjbesideB Cal-ab and Luc;/, a 
Wlilto ":)07, 7;Iio v.'as in<li 3153210 a'ble to me as a Iiotise Beryant, Taiir fv^tlhe^ 
^ -d "feeen Yori^F Uis/ far oeig'ei*^! day;^ presiari!^: -capers illicit ho Fas to 
©eM off l2y yotir uudle Rol)6yt fco V3i-dalia, &nd after he left was S0fc« 
■ ;'.'^2 rsad7 tt*- j<o to I?d\7a?.ds^;illo t<9 afit as oiio of the ocssinlssione^s far 
:;. ::J-)-nr.Qim of t?x<5 eld oaii^ at that pl^^o^j T^Jit w;^3 suddenly taXen ilL 

-. : ..-, ,_...,..,|-^^ -.,^ ^^^ A^ lo^Y© foimfi him ir? "bM ^^-itli a ragiiig fe^rar » 

''.ollriisii vflj.ich -^a;r Itvlj difstreBBlng* "Te lr«?.g:in<5d tlio fS'irAses ©n 

to "be 

I'.oop .ilidm ;'rani fhe l3-3d* TIIsb Seymour ftad a ]:.f<il on hot- foot, and ocr.ld 

:^~t .T/esir a. slsoc, &rid\ln«t.o.?d of i-uiing si YieTp be,s a decided 'ootliS'.'- e nor 

foot Toolng flr;7t -nd ■To-jc^ob-%, j«fed IndeM all s5ao could t.all^ aT^out, I 

f ouijd layself in s^^. of the tight p 1 e c (5 a , not 



102 KEMIII3CISCi;3* 

ki-UsLeii." at- ooeL, aiid aiiendance on all "Sti>!;'i:G::T>" t'lic>t Octme 1;o the stcroj 
iut)ao'uvii]g cotton ttlatii Luud iJaia'io^'j vreirjIiirij^lS- ooffec,- lndir>?>,--??.id riac-.clcT'^*« 
or, as tiioy.oi.liteu it, utitlu-r-^aiiO, in GxcJisaiiie fcr ifrhi-csii voiild "bo tho 
wcj.lgliiirjg i>f butt '32?, ueeaiarax, iiouejr, and count i®e ngc^; chlcK3.ns thcs?' 
sold 1^ ti;e "pai^j^Cpi.ir )• «;ii6ii iJijr Mercantile labor tras ©ti^Igj^, aiid I 
rcjl^^iiB.ju fixHja i.iy ;:uiii&3 beliiiia tlie oouiitor, It Trmild be g?iite a eirc^ini--. 
stc-.i.^-o .'..vt to llijd s^i-eai'^-cld lis-'oy c^Tlrg "iTcr siama, oy ijy tiiroo-ucar-olfl 
ooy ui: to iiir. uluow in nisoliiei, #©r coraetliirs "biirnt in tlio Kitol!ei';;rar 
Willis, our Ley, tliough Inaispeneaolc. in i'sy li3iiBe!fceePlrig , iwas but an 
ey'j-sox'Va.-it, eiid e.o oui-door oeoupationa ^rerc sere in aecor'ganee wltU 
Itit. tasto, V;0Uld i'iiifui himsseX:ir under the necessity of eanvessii]|? tlie ha^*» 
mO¥ i'oi- eggs, oy fo^dtm. tiie clxid^iens, yliilG tiie thi::i£« loft in his car^ 
iii tiie i^-itci-en woiiid Le most srxHy-claarred, Slie oustotiei'-s ec-'t=.e^thc 
^^fe^0i^^l the baoie^^ poaoefal, VTillls callscl in, the hcns'drivon out of 



t:.^^; l;it<Elicii, -Jit:! 255^ tlnoAcf liear a pa^Birjg resaco^Ii fi'oia r::ar:il- as t^ 

'^ 

uiio o O'lditipn of iier "luij^'Croot >, and than I \vas rsaciy to a:3^iLae tlie 
vl lies of nui>;e, your f£:tj.ior orproskji^^!:' surprise tliat I would stay a^jsa;!,'' 
oc; loii£; and' tr^'-iiJS ic l-:tipre33 mo -.rltla t>io imporlvanco af stayinf' in tiie 

^ r©om lost liG uislit wa.it GUiuctliiii^ in :3y abcenocj and a solcasm eharg© to 

' Iceep oai-ali and. tiie ciiiltu. en cii'o of tiia r£>ai!i* 

^ne day lie scciiieLl ilio;;o conrFortatle, aixd told xao that I mict write 

^w-Lo lottors that slic^ilo bo sent avr^y tlie next nsorni:-!!;?:, so after si'^tf^ 

wateJa 
SaralL a aliarso to ||i;'^#;7111is, smd G©e tHat he x-oelc o?jre ©f the GliiXSremj 





RnillTIf^.CT^TCES, 




10 


'"w"" • 


\ ..- • .. . , .:' ■■- - " 


■:^.:l:l;, 0: 


3r:--%rc, ±'x 


■• T:i1./:?'!i^;o. Ccot 




. c^ cu.pa:a3j( Ci' - ■. :'. ■ 


■' ' } 


- .:■;--■:. . . 


J . .-iti 


ici . -.: - .: 


". . ' ' . the todisl:.":. , 




^- :vh -.. 


-■. aiiijiensj.:;. 



. iml^ility tcfco iriv!! t.:o.2;-th':n a Icnrv letter to Stephen B . Hun:^, 
of Mew York, and also some otliers. The writing finished j I had to 3Ci£ 

•Willif-i to the office with the letters, to be mailed. He returned, 
t>ringlng back the letters, and informed me that Mr. Romitree \;aG away ^ 
and t'~hat ^Mrs. R. did not "know nothing, no how, aboujr postoffice." 
Your father then sent To&ok to the offiee, t»-o miXoSj to have all the 
:fe tters "brought to hiia that had been pat in the office tl^e previous 
w&qK^ and to me was assigned the tasX of ms^ing "ap the mail. It was no 

' small tasli, either j for as. he had forgotten to send for the v.-ay-bi-lla-~ 



are printed blaniss to bo filled out, and put vjith ea.ch pao.vu^-,j — - 
I had to malse out the whole thing , way-bills aiid ail, in re£;ulu.ifo'j«tjt- 
offiCG order. After a few days your imcle l^bert ra'Gurnedj tuul do i.:.- 
m diately sent him to Greenvill_e for a pl-iysiciai'-i; it oqIi^ tssenty 
Bfc" les it was an all day* ride. X had not 'sent before, beoause Di--. 
, our family physician, ¥v'as not in Greenville, axid yovir fa:ii'.5/ 



I had to carry hia tliroiigli a c-ourso of trea-tneiil; uhe l)a't I cjiil.l, 
;^:# though with fearful 3^^ forebodings as to Vuiether X \7ar> piirsuint: tlvo 
ight course. The aiisiety and responsibilio^ I felt cibcut hia Gic3"Ji^;Df 
IS more than ^tll the labor and%'..are yith "iThich I r/js- ":o urcL nod, 
l#l^ After he had consented to have a doctor, and Robert 



m REMiniSCEWCES. 

u ietijirnedwii.li 3jr, BraKe, aiid iio iiad approved ofn^ treitmen^, I felt 

ndoi't'ally relieved; a lieavy responsitoillty had 'oem. liftea f i^omia y 
^ortired cut l>ocLy and miiid, ilie doetor stayed ti/o dgr s^ and ^j^w^ness^ 

itc-ied thy progress of Jiis con yalesence, and then said he mtist go horir: 
ho fead cipher patients requiring his care-, Yoiir father reia.^nst rated 

outly a'-'ainst his leaving, and it f?as with the greatest difficulty 
o.'.iiiL uiJnp; hlra tc miy reasonaolv^ iindorstanding as to tlm/oessity of 

len my mind was luore at ease I began to feel liow tiiopi oiighJja vjworn . 
prnTiXTiu tired I Ixad beeoaie, and shall v^eveT forgot the ^S»i^^h'k mtt% 
;ave x:y to see little Julia's srcen hood cojiiing througli the gate, asidil 
oldiix^ it' cpon for aer motfe r. 2o|hose who Iiave never laiovm the lono- 
(inesB uhat had encircliSd. iue for the past weelcs^ m^ feeling could not 

I; 

B described. Siie sight of a f ?.ce oeaining with Icindn'^ss as was iiiothei' 
'©iainaends .;Ji0.i one oiu'ie in and said, "ana why didn't thee 1^ t no iaio\7S* 
iiioh frioikixf, aiia 3u^ih aoiyS of fi'i'inds-iip can novov be forgotten, nor 
fen IVnoy bo iLideratood Ijy tho;5e vruo iiave not been in lilie i©-iation« 
Srs. Sovmseiid Lipent a vueli: \/ith fu?:}, and tcoii John— <7ho "^.^as aljout a year 

pLd— to, »l.oep v/ith lic-r cind Julia, Ever ai'ter hi^; father' ivcab talu.f^^icic 

^- i 

^ 3<i(^i^,.-- to navo a horro" ..--rybody; ^ovla no% let Sarah touc%in^ 

it i<j ■' : ■.L.-a,yt thii}g for hira; he seei^ied to feel that soKiething viae- 

»^i:.^,; . ?- „ ■:.. perfect jtoaK^ had taJson hold of him, I-hrough the-^tet 

,ay ' . v:.-.!"!.^ ]'olc o the shirts of ix^ dre^B as I passed from room to ^ 

LOL.; r.i, Mj.,^iiu i had t?;:^ tak.c hii^i in Biy arms and lie dovm ai th) 

led hcsid*^ youi' fathor , and if obliged to get up and 



""Rv :,«{jSt5:il^ 



>>>iiji. 



3^^\S^ 



* A^*5V^J >^"s.v;- 



-Jl. 



i 

|w:l.-f: 17^'rn M^", .TohTi ^otild walr-G 9.nd cltx^s to mc w?.t.]i '^r-.?.!! a -pr^T— ;1. ---..:: •'-• 
.|^>!^ tli-.t I !70ttl.?. he ol?11.ged to carry ?iln ?Tjoiit. ii\ ---c; jvivi-iiT . .---i - 

igct hi'^ r^p^^r^(\. 'sno^e;!! to lie :-,ovm ssain. It - - ■. - - ^ -oniorei-i, •< r.-' - • -n 
jirh<R I^'^-' 1.-' .«-|v8 "-18, liim np to Horij ,3. r ToYmaTsia ,, 13x^3. u-ndref?^ an.--? ■■-^- 
S*o T^" St nlslit, - -t'liwr I li^^d not done fcf more than a ifoeji:.. Mrs,. T. 
^i'5 --' 1 - -- ■ -10 nn+.il Caiei^ .: :-jixe.y retiirned; tiir^ c'rilriren ^^-o^e 
liapTy p-nri -pleaoed to havo tli<ira "bao'k; nS yo-r father ^'sttl.nf^ r?o af? tc 
n\% i^p '^ littlo T.7h3-n fy^! hoard t}i#t v-'mr hacIo Cha.rleB -7-r? ot^, hi^ i^^-^r 
to^lllr>,nl3, 

ptB ad -bftsn four ye?=sa 3 slnco I le^:^ iii;?- Iferr Englana h^--^^', -^nd in Is^i-vf, 
%lrr£! I h^d seen no facn that T hac!. over Icnown bern'oroj r-coeptin- your 

•other's and undo Hohort'Sj and it -^.^ vrith no lil^tle exottirir; mte^:-- 
'est thri.t X loolt.ed for^.7a-.-'cI to hi^ arrival, ^^Jen X left heme ho rr--.f* r. 
a ad of el.^hteen, in a fstore In Bos^ton.. TP^r yet-rg had hrouf^t him ^^ 
tc T)f^ - hanclBOTiie yoiing nan of twenty-tuo , Wo had a hapioy meetlnfi:, 
Ch=iT»lofi 3oc3mec? ironoiG-fully ploas^cl Tjith Vm ^hildreia, and tliey -ri.tn !t- 
tiRt as tiiey had iiOTer scon "but one<j!nolej they 5,'0:r"y.sed to' aoi?Jio-i7lo'a.f::o 
hfc--. "e f^ninh, 2i.nd iTCfuld say "Rohort is ray miolo," In spoalcln- ---^ -^-^m 
f ?.th3r«s recriilraments T?h.en h^ was siok, 4t night m<m to thos- rmo 
dl d not icnoF his Ifeind heart, that his ^t?,-. a difficult Bpirlf to con- 
t end with, I Ivatm not ^my it is , Tbiit hr.vo obBerved it f-^e-mently 
th.?t whon a diffioiilt and iT^roarous case of hnroanity 1^5 pr Of^-!r:- at ed hy. 
slcfeiof?;??, It TDooomes g?)ntle and snhmissive, and o-tliibits a la:-?ilili:ite ■ 
spirit. Your father in health ;:: .?u:aiahle, and mild, and had no love 
'or ezeroising authority over ©thers, Mt 



h 



106 KGlIIIIISGJJiTCl^S, 

i 1 ;,;i(;.i:..-jai* i'-o understood ovijry ciatjr o.l a jau.ri;y, ajid u'as fait>r"aiL. 
.■seciiio tiiat it uas peri'oriuud. As sooii t-is iiy ./a;3 CiulG io ci'ij''idG'ii(i to 
jjfusiiiiess,' caiae tho pi'Gparaiior;: f'oi" the lai:d— saias r:i'L VajidaMi# I'lic scilo^ 
rcr£: or l:vi\ds on Wjiioh the taxes liad not 'boen paid. Tlicy'oci.imenood 
larly in ti.iu v/intor, aiid contiBued Toi" about <^.;o iuorj.t.'iS, a G;.;rtaii.i nix-vr- 
I .' r boln.'3 F^'t up ovcry da.y, and raoBt oj? thoia bo'iisi'tt in for tii'j £:;iCLiit^ 
yf t..i'; i:^-rrs?;. Tne lands aold yere m^Btly BO.LC.inr'n oo'sar/ .aindD, ciii... 

Z~.-.. , . ./I'llions ixl tiiO oa;:;t.'I;:-'^. atatoft, Tlu; ..:.,, :f limd li^tB tl.:;^ 
:. i: . ■-.: ..5s;^R^ ccpiedb^ji'.; . ■:.:.j .^.',-... \. -■:.^-r.. ......■.;.;....„■ ;:oaBOi:i of liiirry, 

' . ., , . .;;;i.. .. .. -- iid tlrsBn X ^^ ncv/. and rruivu 

^Pi..l,- , X ..:.-■ ■ . V ., .. /. , . ou3ino33, .aiid^our oyonin^s vrore cfton 
ri v»j.. .he aomiiii; ncairs, Ai'tcr your fc-thor ctartod for TsuidtJ.fe. 

/ 

fe kxi . . .uoLfcolDur-i. irith liim to a£;£;ist in liifi uriti^;, X coj^riencaS;" 

? i-opai'ivtiOi;:ia for lay eastorn vi^it, to v.'hich I Ivj.d "been loolcinc fo^n/arrr 
~ Tt-F't fc'^jT yo?'':=7, ?T!d 'as? the "wl^-ole ptreparatioiryf f or leaving 

.. ^. , - ,.^.^.T4~,- -^ v-^^^ fr^r. c^leT? and Ti.\tcy lr>. owt at)sence, and of getti h^ 

. , -, ,,,4. , -,-,7 ,,, „,,^.p^_^ .?r.r '^oi^.y f^-tl^-i^r myself ap.d the children, 3. Mrs. 

-V, ,,..r,,.: -n—i^rtc-' T-r; <?^'>r,-:^, ■but ap hr>r dp,iir;hter Po0«=!tta, was to go •ig'itl'ili"® 

n 
^.,L - • - ■<■... -,-y. ^,j,-,.j.7.v,p,t>o tr^ ■n^e'orro. Stir^Ti a thing b.^ hiri'if, a day's sewfe 



H^is "'■'"■■" •'-'^'h'^^^r:'. of i"'- •5'h?t rogiOB. a wee^ "before v/e started eas 

our furniture v/as rauoved to our ^ no"^ liouBe^ -id p;ic^odi r^ ooeof the 

ro ona. In another roo.^i tliO_officG fi^nifin-awas deposited, t3is 03M cr 

... .. .:o:.t op.:;u; ymr t«ic1.js Wbert- and Charlee actin?- ^^<^ l^rd-agonts 

-Jd and store-Jioeperg, 



^ 

r 



-^ 



A^ 



-J<*!!^-.^,i .. - 3^- -WWvsA^ 



;. i'e? 



TS6a^. a cabin "built i'or Calo'b :;iid Lucj, not x «i- xVoiu 'tiie nor; itGuse,and 
■ % loft tli'Six vifiili a ■biirrel of. JTlcur, ocrn liouj. aiid bacon, uiicl eoiXeo 
#s^nnfl rrfi-rjej-" .-ir .'ioicnt icr tiic; si:: moxitlis tliat t/g axpootetl to "be aiosGiiiiJ 

• ■.- - . i-'j . 'fi -Lfjij'ti J C&lolj ociiiio to U.K.' vVi oi. ,jAi._- o.-' iij-ii doU.'j.oiiiitioniiJL s 

• -. " - .-1 . L'.i-'.. } c .'iCt -• li^wv^cn oj. iivcj'''^ '■-' fCiicii'Mitj^ J luAcio iinonTXi 
Ji ;■ ;■'■. :iaoat t'-i.: t ^cLir Tatiior v;culd givo liiiii scijtotiiins to sJaoin titat it; 
^ ■Yf-.s s eree laan; that Jie wanted to 'live aiid diu toitii u^ and tne daar 
children; lout life \ms misartE^in,' and wc uiajiit not iiv-^. to aoiiio tacij. 
nd then he -and Luc^ would iiavs to be sold ii^Lc Ou^.^r^ niggu^a, xiio 
Ic^f-tTie state was ver^ Iiard on tnose v/no li'ljui-atoa odavt,3, u.t;q.u.iriii^ 
■"ISlCSei t- give ^sonls for Lhe goad Iboiiavior of tJiQ negro, and sliould ^oit, y 
"^^^y:--- :.nar;^;o:i.bio tc ,x: - .ruiib*^ '.or thoir support, -ii030 vdic iivid] 



tVi(?:r. na:. to riBet Idio Gxpons^^s, ^^an uov. Golos ■ivanl; to Ii:..i:.iOi^, iiw 
S entered a gu-artyr section of la;ad, cind tool£ v;itn iiiiui c*Ii tnc; ;s&¥g& xiO 
",'d inlierlt'3d frora'iils fatiioi^abstatii in Virginia., and tiivc tnorsi t:^!^^ 
#' 'r^^Gdom, £Jid a liariK; on tha pi-ai^'it; Zand ne iiad pa'ovidod for tiiC-:,^"but 
jf^-q 7Aot siiren t)C?ius '.o tho staid tliat tiic;}'" Jliould not to 3lia.^i;,viudiw • 
Jiad intondod to do ,:^o, Imt ne^leot^d i^up to che tij:;.o lio u^o no-ilno.toJ 
#n;f ' r.:-ud irate for govornci , Fartv rc^eJii.^ .'^n: vori' Iiigli i-. iic«^ 

t^-;< } b^i:j.. c- ;,!0; ^ i:^!rr.im&.'o ion suhOi^^ ^li..; ii-ju --.--■ -1 i-i'-icn ci. ono ij.ni.<j^]jj.'CH.:iu5" 
"^r \\'?x<^- 'rio const 1. tuition ciiSiT^ed axid fclavcj;;/' .^.dasittea to tda state, 

.r3 earriod to great, len^itli., 2ir-,Colo3, vdio Iiud "bccai ijorn in 'Vix'jinia,, . 
amd always lived anions slaves, fead aarae to the now 3tate of 1111 nois, 
T7ith an 



/ 



f iioi..,.. ', l-,^^:uix.m o^- iictiwiij^ i. decidGcl stand on LiioLidfc ox i^roccloi.^ aHl|«i*». 
"- "-■' - - nciarly all li:.B patrisiony, was Icoliod upon by 3cu-^i.crn ari3« 
kt ocraoy ati a raoat iDltter icg uO tiioir cause ^cuia to roi>ali:itt; tuey 

bj>ougi-it Siuit against iiiLi for noii-coiapliaiiCf3 v.ltli vh-3 lavm of tlie ;7.te % 
^ and roGOvorod tiirGG tiiGU&and-doll^is, Lut loB#i tlieir daoiocrat:,.. ,. - 
;:.or, and CoIgb. llr, Joles ?-ad held a high, position iifeocir.l life, 
L ;■ truvolod abroad, ooen private soeretary or ProsldGiit Madlsc4-'^ - 
.1 ii3,4?t^ or n-ine NCiisi;:>ilitie3, ^^..: strictly liioral sJiai';;:.e t or , I)-;.l gssir a 
- ' » - ■ - ^-'-^-i' lacagiit a£;ainyt Iiiian, and tlrc^c tlioaa- 
■ - ucii^:r;j :;ddcd tc :;i3 other expenses iu 'fTeelnz ai.d ^roYidii:^ ^os* 
'■ .. .-■- ii^groGs. ijoll I hi^ve made cpite r- digrossion from Caltib and 
.Lucy Lo Gov« Culos, but the case was tlio e^iio vjitli your fatlier, 
c;,.u. Caleb, -ai a aana^:>rous follovr, artier, draiiii, and in ycur :|llfc.trio^' 

■■--a sivsn to spre-aiiiS, it uas a case re'iuiring aoiiidi wicdoii., 
pt iii£.y uo necessary to Gsplain w}:v/^:.:q were in posossicn of slaves... 
'^Kcthi.i::, ' ..;. :ar;; neo3ssity rjould i^ave indaced us to tlio oourso "e pur- 
'■■-■■ '• - '-2ii , 0, a:id L, Y '^^ aaong tliocc "brcugJit into Illinois 
^'■•'■-- ■ ^' ■ ^ - ■.^:^-viiDXv, ':/ii'iii i!: I^ooaino a atato, t-i^ conatitirUon 
^ ■''■'•■■-* - - '"^^ ^i^-^^ 3iavo3 to rot:ii..i thorn as indcnt-ar,..d servant ,3, 
''■■ --•^' ■- ■' ^"t^^ vx-ivilGs;) oi scilin- thoir ind:;:-vfcuro.5 ta othaio, or 
"t" '- '-^ • ^oivii t!io river, and to oell t]io:.i f.^v a3 maoli -jg tirj y 
■' . .:jir childJ;*eA wore ' . ■ olio piropc-rty o:? "tJio' m-^-tt:-: r- r-^t- 

■■ - "^- - - born, until tiio^ roro cic.nt')c;n^ cr tTTcnty-five •.• v,-.; /" 
e , I licvo forgottwn widen, and tiioy thtm b csaie froa negroes. Caleb 
d Lucy \70ro tnc indentured slaves 



Of ■^'-bort 7'aLau.-;"Hl^n, of Van<!alln, TTo ^?i^ an miclR of r-oV. l^onoar'*. 
ari'.: 
^cept t^io T>ytncl:oal hotnl -+, V^nrt^il-la. y^ir fdit^iGT -I-^-.^-^ stopred tnore 

during the.TTlni.'^r,an<': woi.Tlr], fi-ocriiently -ip.ial^ otf Lt;,cy as a .'^oocl eoo!-» 

YGW.:?' fatlier opjns home tron ^r^^-nrTalla ?.t on© ttoe, >?.ti<?. tolRl me that !&•» 
McLatjghlen a^'fcf^r'. hlv. tn ui^r oiit t^w'f.T indentwcs; raid thct Lnay v/^s ^ 
valuaolR to tlieirT, "b-at Haleb was getting old and quarreled xrlth the of, fir 
negroes, and tinleg^ he co'il-5 find '^ome one to t.-^-e tlioBi ho !iad r>mde up 
hia ralnd feo send them to TTew Orleans anr* soil ther., Cale'b wan sljctv 
years of a^e, ??.nd Lucy thirty, and they had about twonty-^flve y-^^rp, te 
serve— what should ve. do? your father thoii?;ht that If we Qoiild 'bettei' 
-their r-on-'ttlon, and thoreby psecoire Lucy as a coo^, it ^mj.ld not he 
amigs to -naKe the purchase, f. liad never seen Caleh and LticYj ar.d cons«>- 
queiitly had nort.e of the s^Tnpathy yoiiT* father felt for thefr? and xrith 
my pergi^ter^t feelings a.o;airist. ??lavery, would rot ecnsent to the bar- 
gain, axid no Koro had heen sain about It, 

One morning, after a night of little re3t, frori the fatlgrte of over- 
worKir>g the day hefore, I went into the felt Chen to r.sZ'.e i^reparr * :l on€ 
toy breal:fa3t, I had no girl, llelly, the eirl^'. Tl^e, a foTr ncnths f^^ 

petOTe,too'k. the water to the settlements roojiis— ymi have heard the sto^ 
i^— had lK5havod hadly, and I had sent her off, and T felt a relief TThen 
she was gonoo ^^en I opened the klSichen r'oor that merrii'm there Fere 
t-wo ojz.eer specijnens of iramanlty stretched horisontally, oo^revlT>JS alnost 
bhc entire vacant space on oiir Picall feitchen fleor. TThen I appeared a 
5l?oli figure arose, and d r a w i n g his 



\ 



.J* 



no REimilSCMCES, 

tall proportions into theftr most graceiTul attfetuclo, and putt ins on the 

I saiflQ patronizing faco that he wore, when he would say, «»I»so not liho 
de rest; I'oo half Dela^/aro Insin; de best blood when cool, but. lalaa 

!me, uhen het up^worst blood dat oben is in de Ingln tribes," he bowafi 
obseqaiously and said, "I ara Caleb, an dis is Lucy, on de floor. lie 

^ had acquaint|nce with m, Tillson for some years; I allers blades his 
boots, and mal:©s his fires VThen he's in Yandalla. I»se brolc© with mas- 

' ter Mao, and I thought I would come and try to get in with you, nmdaa, 
I'll iiindle the firef and den yoti can tell Iracy •bout de ^^^ Wetf^s4 
I rnade my way baelc to the bedroom, and when I returned found Luey up 

-and airaiting my orders. It ¥/as no sinall consideration with ae, Forn 
dosra as I was, to haVe some one to cook a comfortable dinner, and at 
night to maKe some biscuit, and get up a supper that pleased your father 

without the necessity of being ©ver the big, open fire-place, and lift- 
ing the Dutch oven myself. Still it was slavery— the price of blood 
that hinted me. As there was a penalty attached to those who harbored 

rnuaway slaves, your f^tEer T?rote immediately to llr, McLaughlin, inforra« 

our ^stvrM-i^tvu^ 

ing him of ^^ferpriie, and asl^ing hin what to do with them. 

After about a month Lucy carae to the kitchen- in great glee, and told 

me that master Hobert was at the gate, and was coming in with Mr. Till« 

son, and she was «g?/in© tu have- some fuss rate biskits, and coo^ some 

de 
of dat niee haiu, jes' to let i^glave foll:s see dat de Yanlvees has as 

good things as theyuns; and please, will you get out some of your best 

deserves?" After the table was ready she came again to know if 

she could roll up 



REIiraiSCMCES. Ill 

the "bade window curtains in the dining-room, so that "by going out doors 

she could look in and see how old raassa liked his supBey* Of course 

all Luoy^s reasona'ble requests wore complied V7ith, and "old niassa"gave 

evidence of his appreciation of a good meal. 

After supper, in the parlor, Mr. McLaughlin and your father proceeded 

to tjuslness. He had laade up his mlmd that if your father would give 

him five hundred dollars fo'rthe tSsme Lucy was to serve, thirty years, 

and fifty feet of plank from his mill, for Caleh's indentures, which 

were not for as long s^ time as Lucy's, he would give hini a quit-claim 

t© tB^eir future BGrviees, If not, he should send them to Kow Orleans, 

where he could get a higher price, "but professing a kind sympathy f@r 

their welfare, would prefer t© laake the aacrifloe. He was to spend the 

night with us , and the proposal was to "be decided in the morning, I 

saw that_your father's wish was to retain them, and as r^ kitchen lai&osil 

were to "be aMted, and feeling, too, as he did, that I could not thiiik 

of having them sent off t© the slave pens of New Orleans, we "both oon- 

easy, 
cl-ufied to keep them. Work was made lighter, "but eonsoienee not quite . 

A 

JANUARY, 1872, 

Having brought lay reminiscences to the ©lose of the first four-imi-a- 

half years of Illinois life, I will, before beginning on another y&3iT, 

give a parting retrospect of ray isolatl^ai while at our log cabin, atfehe 

home \ 

farm. In the four years I had left f^^ pnce, to go toWanc&lia, where 

I# spent nearly a week, talcing with me Charley, who was sis weeks old. 

We. also took Mr, Black, who had looen sick, and with us for the four 

P y © V 1 o u s_ months. 



^^M-^^ cu^^^OJt^^ "^"^^Z^ 


















H>t''U^^'^-'' 



REIIINISCEJTCIIS, 



//C^ 



showed iny head 'to the St. Louis aristocraey, I felt decidedly night-cap* 
py. Arriving at St, Louis the Paddoelcs gave me hints and lectures on 
the same subject; ^^ there three or four days, and bruehed up a little- 
Started for Edwardsville; on our vfay honeward spent two days at Ma^or 
Hoplcins'o Tao last niglit I spent there Charley was taken sick, and in 
the morning the ^ole family remonstrated atjout our leaving ¥<ith so 
sick a child. 

The flies, which at tliat season swarmed on the prairies, laad© it dan- 
gerous to attempt crossing in the day ti::.!©, as they would attacl: horses 
in such a way as to make them perfectly frantic and unroanageahle. Kiis 
was another reason urged iihy^it \70uld he unsafe for us to start, hut 
your father had a "business engagement to meet, and his mind was laade nv^ 
so taking a hottle of something to allay Charley's thirst, for he had a 
high fever, and tstking him in ray lap, we starteS on our ride of forty # 
miles o There was a str<^ig wind thmt day, ¥;hlch- \?as fortunate for us, 
as the flies could not settle on the horses, as in a caira, and Tby a m&B% 
furious drilling, which your father- well understood, wo were onahled t© 
reach heme before nisliJ;« Shese three visits were all that I made out 
of our own neighborhood for the first four-and-a-half years. Twice in 
that time I spent a day -M "fareon Townsend's", 2QY@n railes from us* I 
spent one day at Colonel Sefward's, one at Butler seiiirard's, and occas- 
ionally would ride up to "Fathsr Townsond's" and spend a day, or part 
of a day, Aaong the ¥/Gstern neichbors, I dined twice at Esguiro Kilpat?" 
rick* 3, in the cabin without a floor; onco at Jesse Buzaii's, once at 
CODsaodoro Yoakimi's, "shlch, with the exception of one 



114 RRTIINISCMCES. 

wedding, and one "infaro," covered all niy absQncos from tlie old home. 

Perhaps you do not understand the word "infaro," It Is the reseptlon 

groom's 
of the bridal pair, and other in^rited guests, at the house of the j^^^ll^ 

ever "^ 
father, the dsQr after the iMarriage. It was the only tirae I witnessed 

A 

tlie western eustoa of riding for the bride's 'bottle. If I had not al- 
ready gone into so many partioulal^i, I would give you a description of 
the race* The wedding I attended was that of Mrs. Kilpatri<^*s daugh- 
ter, i7h@ was sarried to a stranger who had recently appeared in the 
neighborhood, calling ||& himself f doctor. I Knew as soon as I put my^ 
eye on hia that he was a soaiap, Tmt- for lire. Kilpatricl'!:'® salse, I lnvit<- 

. ed them all to dine with me the next da;^'', jhe story ©f ay visits could 
soon "be told; tot visitors, and hai^ors-on, were legion.. Wli^n preparing' 
"brealcfast I never laiow whethSB* it was for w omi family, or -^g- several 
more. Kio ""bounty-landers, » who were on their way from the military 
tract to Vandalia, would, after spending the night at Gol, Seward's, 
get on in the morning as far as the land-off iee, of oours© arriving jusf 
in time for breakfast. Besides i^ioh aUthe ministers made our house 
their depot. If we ohanced to be patronized by a well-informed and good 

I iBan, we felt it a favor conferred, bait I am sorry to say, the greater 
Humber of the clerical brothers wer© poor pay. Sarah Seyiuoiir spent 
about six months with m© by invitation, a real bother, as was also the 
daughter of good deacon Jones, who lived in c/ar neighberhood a year and 

then went to his T?ild lands in Mlton Gounjiy. Mrs. J. asked me to ^eep 

IW J^er dau^ter, and attend to her lessons, and accept her ser© ices as 
B^rse for Ch a r ley. 



^^- 



REIimTISCEITCES* -.^ 

XX5 



ana general as.l.ta^ ,^t the hou.o .n .e..t»>, ,^e eta^ea not ,a«e 
a year, ana h»e eeemea better after *e lo«. ijosette a^een. speftt 
»«oh Of „er tine ,un ..e; a lovely elrl. an« we all .eoamo .a^nly .t-«- 
taohed to ,er. , .aane,o rests on her ^rr. Her life ^. a short 
one—She was lovirm ana aSsbble. 

in the ™er of ia3« we beca.,e nonbers of the Shoal Oreel. churO. in 
Bona county, ana oharlea ana ,*n .ere baptl.ea there^. hat aa the ^0 
ohu^h was .l.teen .He, from „s .e aia no, go to It only on common 
seasons, it was the oustom at that tlMe to have the Preparatory l^o- 
ture on the ^laay prevlo-.s to the oo^^ion. ana oonti».e the servUe, 
through saturaay. ana as the log church was no* convenient for a large 
satherlng. tent, were put «p. ana such aoco^oaatlons as are provlaea at 
Methoaist oa.p..eetlnss. Our other church privilege, were to .. ccca*- 
•lonally to the Hathoaist,, o™.herlana Pree*yterl#.s. or .Hara-ShelL 

Baptists, none of which eaiflea or snlrltu=illzaa ™„^ ^ .. 

■>. iiii,i»aj.isea« EMofl, Our attSBpt ta 

eet «p a sunaay school hy inviting the chllaren of the sottl«o„t to 
our house on Sunaay. was In so™ respects encouragl:«. though there 
were s«,e ar«,aclcs ana aisoourag»ents attenaing It. one girl. wt.„se 
father and r»*her coma, read, tea l„st..ctea their promslne aau<3.ter 
in an that they W. She ca,„ a few Sunaays. ana because I woula not 
give her lessons In gr.^r. ooncluaea that «he couia reaa as well as t 
ooula. ana so ahsentea herself fra>a the .chool. so^i„, , ,,3 saaly 
m doubt as to how to ^r^e with the fathers ana «»ther3 of the ohU- 
iren Who haa never -seea- a Sunaay School, ana cane, hrl^ing their 



» ^ t t e s , to 



1 t 



a 



113 rJE'^T'TlGC'^TCT'S, 



spectators vrliilo we savo instructions, '•mt ca5.d not got ready to ^o aTray 
When tliG ;3G]nool was aisralssed, and not until tliey had tested tlic wo*tJi 



of -JM" YanJiee Goolcing, 

You nay feel that I liave attaolied undue not lee to the meals eivenjand 

the calls on our hospitality, "but could yoit laiow fiie Ia"boT of iDringlng 

from raw raaterials an|Et%ins at all presenta^ble for family use, yois. 

would understand why the impression was so lasting. Besides the Imrden 

were 
of coolcing, there ^^^^^ many others, Every Monday morning, instead of. 

pumpiJ^* out a boiler of soft water, the Kettle had to he suspended over 

■fh^ fire hy neans of pot-hoo3?:s fastened to a traimriel, that was suspend"* 

ed from a Tsar in the ehlmnoy, The getting; the kettle huns was too oe- 

verc for a woiaan's rausclo, aM a man had. t© he called in to the perfer- 

mance, Then a sniall Ikettlo containing ashes and water m.wt also he put 

on the fire; when the siitiii Kettle hoiled and the water "bocame lye, it 

was taken off and settled as you would a po|r of coffee; not with egg, 

"but with cold V7ater, When the large Icettle of water boiled, the water 

fron the small I^ettle xmBt he dipped into it and stirred imtil flashes 

lilce snow-flakes cane up, and then, as nother Seward— who instrueted mo 

in the prooe33~woiild say, "the vrater was hrol^e," [The scum was then 

taKen off frora the top and the water dipped into tubs to cool, a thic& 

sediment woulS fall to the hot ton of the tubs, leaving the water clean 

and pure, ready for use. As several Settles full had to pass through 

this process, it would oooupy the first half of washing day, thereby 

bringing everj^'thins wrong, Wlien the slothes^ were washed I, eontraxy 

to all nile among ray neighbors, hung them on a line in- 



REMINISCENCES. 117 

stead of the fence, "but as elothes-plns were not Ifcnown then, had to viait 

until I could find Looniis in the right mind to whittle some out, vrtii«h, 

after about three raonths, he accomplishod. The first time thoy were 

used I vyas attracted to the window to see what was the source of such 

Oollification as was ij^ing shoxtn. "by two of our baclcswoods neighbors. 

. They were looking at the clothes yard, and calling to the thir(a,who was 

j^to 30in them, "See here, ain't that jest the last Yankee fixin'? 2esi 

see them ar little boys riddii^* on a rope." 

We had nc market, and inust live as did our neighbors, on corn bread 

and "flitch." "i'litch" was the fat portion of the hog, which would be 

laia on the floor of the^moke-house , and salt sprinlcled over it; it 

was a filtliy process, and when cooked (fried), vTas a disgusting food; 

so in order t© have aore comfortable fare ourselves, and to have some- 

thing in readiness for the visitors that so ujic©remoniously came upbn 

ue, I had recourse to all the poor wits 1 possessed. We. usually had a 

whole 
quarter of beef --nothing less — ^brought at a# time; sometimes a ^^ an!-- 

/V 
malo Youf father knew nothing aBout cutting and dividing meat, so by 

t^c^ help of directions laid down in a cookery book, and a lit ■'Is ?3av; I 

attempted this art. When I eoiild not ii^-r^ige among the big bones. I Y/ofU.!^ 

enlist your uncle Robert, and y/g performed ?/onderfally, A part would 

be salted down to be used for corn beef, whon the fx'ssh had been eaten; 

the pieces for roast and steak set apart; the fat about the kidneys 

carefD-lly picked out aiid put =MM§if to dry for s-uet, and the reiiialnder 

of the fat melted, strained, and put away for candles; a part inade int© 

"collared," or "presse d beef|" 



"^*-"^-;rw . ^A/^ \A. 



^- » 



118 KmianiscMGEs. 

tlie round niade into ^hunter's Tjoof," and tlie sliins hunc wp In a oool 
place for sm-ip; 3c in atfcendlns to tlie different ways of disposing; of 
those things, I had plenty to do, to oey nothing of the care required 
in uarn weather to Keep the flies from leaving a deposit, ¥h0rG"by p.nlnaal 
life was engendered. Bvit the nost todioixfi thing was the candle-mal^iniy^ 
Each desli in the office mist be supplied with two aandlen f^^^^^^^^g^ 
e aad l aa , ancT with n^'hat was necessary for other parts cf the house, ivfi 
loss than thrc?G dozen would suffice for a Yieelit Unf^tunately, for Tuy 
own coirfort, I had experimented and made iEiproveiaenti in dipped candles 
until I .had seceeeded in getting them of su.eh "brilliancy that no others 
rcre to be used in the office. I used to dip f?ixteen d02ren in the fs>ll, 
and twenty dozen in the spring. For the npring candles I "boiled th© 
tallow in alus^ Fatar to harden it for gijoiimer use, Were I to attsiipt 
to tell 5''ou the process, or the labor bestowed upon these "nooturnal 
luinlnaries," you would not coaprshend it, and as the day ia past for 
nialcing them, boing a part of feouselieepii^, it irill rait bs ^orth whll© 
to expatiate furthver on their merits. But oh: I can fancy riy/po9r,tir©^ 
'5hoiilder and strained arra are new in sympathy with the toil of tallo'i!7» 
iTot lilce 5EJ3W^ praoticir^ two hours on tbe piano, -Wht^if when you. are - 
tired you can stop, but from three to four rnortal hOLirs the right s:rm 
■mist be in constant movement. If a rest is given to the arm the oandle^ 
become too hard and brealt, and the tallow in the p.oH gets too '.j^tl, so 
dip, dip, dip, nix candles: at e time; each time the candles ,sro® heav- 
i«r and heavier, and the shoulder more rebellious. Besides the dipped 
candles I had Lioulds in which I could mould two dosen -M^ at once. 



REIJIlTISC:iCNC3S. 119 

in-'i all tlio aora'iTj.lsticn from the 12003? thst i!?e jreoXly cooltecl waci -irirnGd 

i 

Into mouldod oaiidlss, wnicli yoias fa-hliGr sttld looScecl ■v/ell, but dll not 

^iv<^^- as clear lifjiit ar? liis offioo candles. I Bomotimes bousJit a cali8 

jf deer's tallow; it was ;iarder tlian "beef, "but not as whltel the natives 

isocl to piit boesi'raa: in tli-sir tallow. I trlod it, "biit found tliqf eiilttc^ 

)in unpleasant smoke • 

To not thin!;: that in all -the fov.T and a-Imlf years we sojourned at tli| 

Tarn, with all tlie dis.g.£reea#bl9 and laboroiis dvitif^s that devolved upon 

le, thoro were no "bright Tpots— no -silvor lini}:ill?5 to the clouds. }lir tw© 

Doys vero re-al semsi rellYi'ig me of many lonely hours. We, too had the 

icc7-v?.intc.nco of tiio "best people all over the state, and received visits 

rreni the no3t prominent men &n the ^^^Jfff-^^w 

In 1835, wc wera In Philadelphia, where Governor Coles had ostabliGhc^ 
iir.solf after his marriage e He called with hir> wife to invite us tc a 
party, at his honse, ¥0 net there the elite of the city, besides oone 
iistinguished strarisers, and the Governor, when I alluded to our log 
sabln aeqixaintance , tool: ocoasion to infons the group that mic near its, 
ihat I had no claim to 0iich a life; that I lived in a nicely painted 
louse, with a picket fence around it, and entortainssd more eompany than 
imiy other lady in the StatOo 'She old Governor was a little soft'-soapj'', 
jind besides, did not see oiir house unt&l after it had received ^. oovor«=* 
Lng of clapboards and a coat .of \7liite paint, I had nany trials of pa- 
tience within those old los walls, and also raany, very raany things to 
illeviate the trials of backwoods life. Your father was in good busi- 
less, and had the means of doing many things 



A 



i*^Mv 



120 REJiUNISGJiJlTCES, . 

for others loss favoted than telmself . He had not only tho noans, bnt # 
thG will, to be generous, and ho was certtiinly a nost cheerful Fciver^ 
j|t is one of the greatest- ooiiiforts to rae, in loolcinc bade on the paBt, 
that we were placed in a' condition to extend fa\'C-rs to o there, and if 
the Eieans have been rest'jrlotod, the ^ill to ao sc is as strong as rfhon 
the privilege was ours. I sometimes fool that if I had done nore, xi^"^ 
restrict icns would be Iobs, but I hope never to li^/e niMindfizl cf the 
i ■blessings that surroiaided me in early life, and no^ that I mn old and 
gro^r-headed I aju not forsalien, 

^n tiie spring of 1327 we started from oiir r^estem home t# visit out 
klnsfolK,3— a great event, and a great undartal'J-ng. X had no nurse. 



harley Tias three-and-a-half ,^^^^^5^ and John a year-and-a-hg.lf old. 

and 
Rosetta IFownaend went -frith tiSjtooli care of Charles, He slept rrifn her, 

and she washed and di-esscd hliji; 'iJiit poor Jo]rinn|:ef either the change of 

iirater ot soEiething elae had given hin a riost inveterate siirEier sioI"ness, 

it coTiinienced at Bt, Kouis, and continued all tho Fay. Tfo vreve about 

foiir wecKs in Tialving the journey from ."^t, Louig tc Prev(5dcnee, an fci- 

provenient i::. . speed upon the seven-and-a-half iroGl's given to crjr first 

yestern-bound journey, I had had a winter sf toil^ and racking , with . 

>ther labors attendant upon preparing for eixeh a jcpamey, Hy strength 

ras 30 coifspletely eidiausted, tliat but for the all-absorbing doBiro to 

;o caolv to the home of ]w childhood, I tliinl?: r;f courage Y/ould have 

*ailed, Jol-iimie iras a patient little sufferer all tho '^ay. But fet? 

'ere th© nights of quiet rest for either of us. 

We stopped a day or two at iouiBVille, and Cinein- 



REIvIIITISCElICES* 121 



at 



nati, ancIPittsbursli tool: a stage for I<]riG, whiflrh was tlien a sorry ltij-« 

tlo village, W© waited tliree or four days for tlio Itike to reooirer its 

smoothiieas , affcor a long ?3tonu, The waves irere rearing romxntaiii^- high 

when WG arrived traisro, and no Tjoats ventured oiit for sever©! days,. Wo 

■srsnt to Buffalo, and stai'ted for iTiagara-^he nesst morning. vTe were ^1 

day jolting ov-@r a wretohed road In a carriage, a groat part of tlie way 

tlirough £.\'ja3v:oj ground, \7itli corduroy Abridging. The .jolting rraf^ no s^-ve^ 

en Jolnmie tliat I cai'riljd Jilm in my arins inost of the way , and we did 

not reacli Mic^gara until after darlc, too late to gee tlie Falls, M ^e 

T^ove to iGsve tJie next day in tiri^e tc rea«?i— — — 5 and meet tlie canal 

l)oat, OV.T only ciianoe for seeing the Palls was to go out "before "oreaK-. 

fast; aceordingiy, as soon as day dawned, T7e were up, and leaving tlie 

cli-ildreia in "bed, went out and feasted our eyes on tlie wonders of natttre* 

to the hotel 
returning^in ttoie for "brealcfast, and to hurry ourselves off for another 
A 

corduroy seige. At-——- '?o toofe tlie canal boat to — — -, and then 

werd, by stsige to Allrany, Where no stopped ^several days. Your father 

we 
had "business, an^^'ound o\5,rsolV0s loolsing: so decidedly shabby, that w© 

thou^it It the part of deoenoy, at ^east, to Tas&.0 ourselves a little 

more presentable before reaehing Hew Yorli, whore Fe expected to meet 

aoouaintances, So I had nade a new, blue ladies' cloth traveling flregS| 

now 
a sl^lrt and jaolcet, :mieh%s they 3rej.7orn, minus ever^I'irt, a blaG!k- 

figured sili'v aress, a iGghorn bonnet, and some thin^^-s for the children, 

Ycur fither appeared in a no^ ■"tit, and imich to our emiseimen^ the clerfej 

who had s e e n h i h go out and 



123 REIIIlTISCElTCFn, 

in for several cla^r's, r.-itliout ?i9!r-lr]?: rjny ;./art ici" lar dcxiionrArv^Aoi: ^ mot 
hiia at tiio door as he camo in the first tine in h±?i npsvr sirlt, and vrith 
liis raost oljsoquious "bow, showed hir.i to the "bost parlor, tfiliilcins hs had 
a neu si.iest« '^o went to/JeTr YorS: and stayed with i^osetta*® grandfather^ 
Lir. Dovrxiifig. It wc.s oasicr for ne , as X oould lealre the oMldron ^Itls 
Roisetta and go out oQcasionallj*, I felt qn.ite at home, and had an op- 
portunity to set soia© rest. 'From. Hew YcrlL fre in-ent to Providence and 

spent a xer: days, ani tlien your aimt Maria j taking little Ife.ria, i^ent 

the rest of 
with us to Kingston, ivlisre we all spent ^t lie suJiMer» 



I?MfIITIJ5Cli3TCT^f?. 



A D D E II 3 A . 

Appendc.nt to tl'ieso s&otclies we give the followilig extr-aets froi<i Dr. 

SCippincott 's "Loe CaToin Da^'s," w'lieh nether !"ia3 pi'eservec?. as eontainln© 

pleast?.nt Iiokg alluslorifs, m'i'l pictijiTos of pioneer life 1:'y anotlier Pon, 

and r.3citltT5,also,tlie tragic fate of a pcttlon of the llOTriisencl faiaily, 

so often raentionecl as air.onc Iiei" earliest and lao^t cherished intiraates:— • 

the 
"In iB^ letter lant wceK X said tliat I isras aocriialntsd, In -^arl^ flays 

of Illinoi^^, with tlie Rev. Jqbbq Tc^nsend., and with his family* The 

ladies wo%'©i li-^'^sHiSQ^it B.vri agreeable, and natiirally esteited a desire 

for father acquaintance, Siyft. families Trero not foixad tn every. fam- 

liovise thono It was not siTrprising that noBt of nB ?jfeo coulrij laid our . 

plans to see thera at their omi }imm» 

"In '^ctnie^/f I33I , ray frl(5nd, Dennis HoclciTell, Esn., and laj'-eelfa ha^?u». 
i:;is; occasion to visit VandaXia, oeneliKled to niaJce i^-ather !?OYms@nd"s aav 
stopping plaoo for tho nl'3lit, thoixsh It wmild prolong the sooond day* si' 
travel. And as it r^:y sfyraaWimt oxlilhit the stato of the ooyntry at the 
time, I ^TiU'eive soiae of -fha Incidonts o^ ciir ,1ourney, 

"^e arrived at !v!r, Tc-siisend » s ahont 0un«?et, and received a heartv wel-» 
oo!n©, not oniyf-r-c-ffi hiin,?olf , Mt his fai^il^''. Ho Ir^a-d Milt hiia a ttou.&e'^ 
of logs, of course— somfsiTloat different froraj and more coiainodlous than, 



134 iia^IINISCEI-ICS^. 

ehoorfui not oni/ ajr an ample firo, as usual, but tj I'r.c tastefvl .?.r- 
ransG^ients ancl coisifovte.lile ftn'nituret : ' noat sdoiTHseiits, Fhicii Klicwed 
even in a log liouse, tlae results of foifialo refinoraenf. !Plie long -^ini&t 
svGiiiiii:; was spent in deligiitfu.1 interGOU2?S0 "^7lth an intslligciit and 
charminjs isi-iily groui', tlio rGSaembrance of isi'iicla M€4^ 3.iiTg€i=s still 
pleasantly at tho end of near 1,7 Jialf a cant-aiy, 

..ii^:; spirits to rind our iiay to tlio seat of scverMrient, on gsbv daj'*s ■ 
^ omney distant. A few railDs froiii-IIr, Tc-rnEend^s^ \73 came to a slianty, 
or tesaporary' stmoturo, soirtowJiat l€#SQr tlian ordin-^.ry, in i^aici-i. nom© 
half doaojL young laen were passing the T/intor in "baohelor's l>all, propas^* 

aSoi-y to settiuii out in tlie spring on t'neir respective lifo ontorprisoSs 

only 

Sevorai of tlieso htwe oeen Iieai'd of siiico; imt X ¥/ill gporfc of onG:Jolm 

, A' 

Tillson, Ji',j T^lioso gonial and mdr^r'al qualitios onc?3arod him to all, ang 
wno3o v'ci.iaAlialJle Ssislnorjs qualifications laid tlia foitnclations for tlT3 
fortunes J^ ff se^^'oral. It was ay liappincss to onjoy his frionclship 
laar^/- yoara; and in tli^s spaeiou;^ rMnilion aftsns-ards "built by ftisa in IJ.il3^- 
■boroi3S^-~ae i.70ll as in lator days In Q'-^i ncy— often to partaJic of hi3 un* 
]DOU?idyd Roapitality, At'tlio organisation of tho Synod of Illinois In 
I33I, noiii'ly all the laorlDers wex'© Qntcrt^lned, and wall entertained, at 
his house. His vrliolo-souled wife was a ;ialp-sS£2Sl f<>- I'^-in** 



"A TpJkC-tcaIj o?0"rr. — X ttIsI-: to say Bomc'^-lilii^- '.iore of ono neatfbcr of I'v, 
iroT7nsoncl*g f.^tmlly— liis daur^lvb^r; ^lioso fearful expoirlence, ^.t a fiitm"-;-: 
tlriG desorvos to t^e recnewtjcfad, 

"Anne Tomisend vrovJA 'n;ivo loeen callrxl a Ix^illiant sxid icvely girl in 
the drav.'lnpi rocft^j of Korr Yorl^, !?he 'eras so intolllsont, so nat^rcal, ar}.d 
therefore so graceful, that withcnit perhaps all the coiTirentlons-.l polifsjw 
liTg of the r;lty, the want of it was not perceived, X paid Ixiq visits 
at her father's, "besides ot'ioi' interviews, andbeo^e ptetty froll ao- 
guaintod. The second wan in ccrapany i/ith Chester Achley, then a lo.'STyor 
of Edwardsville, hut aft.eri7arcls of Little Hoclt, Ar?.. » Yfrtlffh State he 
represented in the xmited states Senate. X want at his •^'eqitest, and 
then onl2/ §^ for- a v.isit to -#' # thejfu, 

"iliss Tovrnseni married I5r. Henry Perrine, who had settled, ao a physi-^ 
cian at areeiiville. Ha was? app^lnto^ hy Ilr, Msm^, our Gc#n.3S5l at Oar^- 
peachy» It was prohably at this plaoe he oon.-seived the pronect, Mhidh 
he aftex'wards hegan to oar>»y o^it , and ii'ith giioh fatal terminatloni, He 
was a nan of scienoe ^s rrell ^3 talent, and very anterprisinE?. TLir< 
plan Tras to settle at sorie point TThere he eoTild "bring together all the 
tropioal plants cf the, hoinliiphGre, if not of the -jorld, W.qt thle pi.ir- 
•pose he ohtained in some way ( G<3vern3iTent sr-ant, perhaps), the Indian 
Key, an isl?.nd In the 21^1"'' j n<^t far from Key We:3t. Here he huilt hin a 
frame house; two stories, I helisvoj with, a helvedore or outladk on the 
top, and GOKEaenced his chosen n^orli, 

"One day— It was Cjwin:-; the Seminole war— the family discovored thQia= 
selves fjurrounded "by hostile Indians, 



I3G Rl!IimTinCli370BS. 

e 
Dr. ''errln ooryolvAec^ t<? lirlcl a parlor TT:'.th thorn fVom his Iionsoxepj'^P'- 

posinn: tliey'wo«lcl, jicccrrTirtg to Indian etTf?ton,reGpoo't s, "rnecUeino nan," 

^it instoad of ^lliifs ^le wan shot dc^ri and tlie house set en fire. In f.ilrs 

|fear:Piil eTtvcu-itlf tTie notlior r>.ml hov clilldren fled to fhe cnljOBsand ve^y 

i 

lernporra-'v— .rorutg'r^ tlifjy co'tld. flnti. iMder t^^o Iiotibo .th^ cloctOT'. Jrarl ccn- 

stractod a "batlxlng plaee, ■RhicJi ■wa!=! siippllef? wit"h v-atoi- ■l'>3'' a clitch ci* 

anal fi^csn the Gulf, 5o this th37 flad, ancT hv"!ro t'ney ti^oiitilln:;!;' rc- 

in?'"'. •■■•";' '.'', fire fron tho ij^Jirnln^ "biiliaiing fell nvon th.Gim* Then the 

Bon, ci ranre ycith, t-di'. thT#i^.-Sh tlio cenal to a "boat not far off, ^Y"?^-!^, 

In, brought it near, aii:l the mottioT and si store ncdnnd hlui, on ^/Sileli ho 

pulled off, under tho flro of the cnrased savagos, and escaped t^ ^.. itqs^ 

j 

sel\7hich laj'' in harbor a nilo or so off » 

"This foarfijl Inoidont . noxr told from laGmory, la derived froH a thrill- 
ing account iTritten by one of th3 daughters and published in the p?>perg 
9f the da'"** 



A LATER LETTER. --"Passing thro\ig2i jtiat Is now called Hills'bQro--thon, 
a timber-town Bite— on a gentle ©minenee to our right, stood a large 
aewly erected brloK house, holding its head aloft aijftdst ararroundins 
sablns and' girdled, trees, built by John Till son, Esq* My traveling coaa* 
panion lifted his hand and exolaiEied: ^YUiy eiioiild any man build ssao^ a 
1.0USQ, here?— It iooiks lik© a lost stone on tlie prairies," ithen a few 
rear?3 later, I'ir^ Sillson entertained in that housa tv/enty-five indmbers 
>f Synod, scsae of th^n with t h e 1 "e wives. 



RISvilillSCSIICES* 3:2'/ 

tlio-'t '^clnc til.? plaC'j appoin-f;orl t.o orgnniss tao Bynod cf Illipol^, •■re 
found amd enjoj^-cd an aoca)mriodatljig I'.sso .^T'-^-- ^•"^i-'.t tJU.ildiji^i," 

Tho story to whloh allusion is isade en page 6^, she tlms relates :t|-' 
JaTiioo BlacS — artorwardB Colonel BlacK, of Vandal ia— was ■brGug:tit np in 
Geneva, K.Y, He 'riad Iseen a cleric, I thinlc, In a jswcler's store in Gen- 
eva, "bntkhovsht to better his fort'nio by going West, and establisiliing 
himself as a farmer in Illinois, while land was elioap. I thlnli: 'ae front 
to Illinois in I8I9 or 30, Hs^ wltla liT<» Br ©oKs, entered land and ^t 
UP a log CRbtn in Montgomery County, and coKjmencedKo tli€ffa) tiie now 1}U3«- 
incss of farming, of Kdfepin^bacliclor's hall, ma3s:tng rails, and 'blister** 
Ing thoir liandg; at niglit going" inte tlieir log ven and eoolslng thsir 
suppers, after wliich tln:^ would retise to tlieir straff saal^ for tlie 
night. Col* Blaek was a snail young man, as gentle and delicate in hln 

Dianners as a lady, and it used to be a scruxoe of sjumBeanent to the ooarsa 
A 

Sue!kers to see his refractory teas get thesasalves out of the fraoeSjand 

run away wi^h the ploif, plunging their master into some deep :£Urrt,n¥, 

i7ho, after getting up and ■brtxshlng, c/ory appearsnoe of mid and dirt 

coolly 
from hifj elothing, w©i:ld remar'^ that his horsegs were a little nervous. 

His GO'tirage and perseverance, however, did not abate until autirusn Y/hon 



he and Broolcs v/ere 'both taSien Ble% Y/itli interiaittent fover, and TDoth 
sti^etohod on their toed of straw. An English yo-ong man, T7ith a rousl'S^sf 

A 



128 HEI.TinlSCEI-ICES, 

rior, but soft heart, had entersc'. -laiod and T//aB conTrencing a far:a not 
far .T'roVii t-Ji<^ij and vfb.er. he fmmd they Tfere si^fc lie Trent every d&y ana 
sadniniflt Greet all the coiiii'ort iv. his poi^or; ta^'inc them x*resh "atsr^alc- 
tng corn-mGal gntel, and iealinc; out closes of neclieine aecordins to -j^f- 
their dlreotion, Thoy had proYidod thon^.selv^s ?rlth medicine in a^:3e of 
slclinesB, "out after y. t#.i8 "boeasiG ir.oapahle of prescribing fox- thon^^ 
solvoso John T?as toe ignorant and too tirld tr; atteTBPt to a-Hninlste"^ 
it hii'if3elf , OT to pjo to TudT/ardsville, thiT't^'- mllos fvcri t.h-^n, to aall. a 
physicirino TTic', B, f?aid that his rsoolloction of the first partof® his 
sle"feness waf. fi'osh in his motiory, ijat aftertrayds It all seamed liXo a 
trouhled dreera; and vrhen John came 4n one inornlng and told him tlm.^' 
BvQotB X7as dead J he was not noved to any feelings of reaT-et ,or alann, 
although he had becm so entirely assoe-iatod \7it'i T.ir, B,, and had enjoy- 
ed T'If! •gcelety and loved hi^r. as a "brother; yet It soeiusd to his recoil- 
lection tc have "bften a natter of little conBomierise, iThother Byoo^is vos 
wal'irig 03^ sleeping , dead or alive. 

John ^-avo him his hroahfast an;? then left hin (the lifeleg?? ,,-,.,- ^-.^ 
c ■ hio friend still hy lii'^ '=5ido). lie T^ent acrosiLi th^i prairie, rcac. In 



>?;! ootir^o of t'ho day ret-ur^^.d. with B(m^t-wo or throe of the rdf.'j-h . 

body of 
pi'^ii'i'> boys, aad rritri a nvdo boy, in ^rhich they deposited the -i^^^^i^f- 

lat^^S'^leM-^vntJ ,bore^it off to a sra'vo they had nropared in a corner of 
tTidii- 6tt3*&Tlo.c .'■■', Xftor tlicy imcl £;one, for the first time a sense of 

lenline^^ «— - ':-— hiin, and he b<:,eian io fesi liSie a lost child, in a 

kind of bewlldernent , wondering whero ho was, arJl T;ho ho was, John 

oar^te again after tJie burial, and brox^ht hisi another neither from 



ac^oes t-:o .r.1.1,, ^o.. visit seeded to l>e one of sympathy and good 
■r^-Mr.::. ., ai.o brought « a Piece cf veniscn, but a. it wan^ not 

V .....,u.„„.,o It 102 }.'is tapper, ih >;/as Imns ^ip 

OP tho outside of thn c^-^blTi x-tt-, i^-^* •»,■»,, o ., 

ut,., -....„3.in. ,,.,11,, ie,.t hlia for tlic night. After iiG 

uas asain left alcme he cmld not sleep, b^it l^y looltin;^ at the B!:y 

throueh the open space In Ms cabin ^all, rf^ioh Imd been lo-^t :Pov .. .^^n. 

been ina.ie for a noo? o'-' fh-^ ov-r.^-? •• - • •. -. .^ 

" "'-^ - '■• - .. iG •}- -Clio c:>bin, v^'ioro a blrji- 

list TvaB not/ 1:ieiigi/i£^ ta ^ 3^b2;tit"ite. 

VMle he lay there bo swrr tS^ blar&et noYe as 1 r ■ , ,,^e vr,.s ccnfens 
: i.; it .eoned to be .ovln^ for ^ oho tine, .men at last wliat he mtpposc^ 
to bG c. dos wanted in, toc^. a ^rvoF of tbe Preniees, and then c^oll^er- 
ately walked out again. There lm<! been a shcwor in the even^nc, and 
v'uon John eaine in the momlnc to prepare his br^^Ttfagt b^ r'ico..,rv.„-, 

that. the venison had been carri^c- tiFP^, ,.nc^ r-n ^-^-^r-i-.^ -- . . 

[, ^.out^tho hou.o, f.^. tn^ fcct.rlnt. of . .^tbor, th. rain havi.^' l^t 
i tho svoum araimd the cabin sn^oth on t;fet the fortn.-in*s -^r^ ^^^^-^>. 
...ec«:n1,.od, H. oo^.nicatod the fact, to "r. E., *.c r..«,,. unaerrtood 
v*c tea „ee-n M. nlgM su.o.t, aM tat -^o. i>,e sloee cf v.nl«on on the 
I outsiae Of t!.o cabin, uould liave PJ-ctebly rsflc his r!0!>.l ft-on It.-, toi-.-ate 
trho Pas too weak t^ j-cclst so ^tronB s vjo'ltor 



^ aothor .,er.tions (on page 23) a whito Sh^ ,hic» father wrehasecl for 
her m Philadelphia. it -5 t 1 i i ovists. 



130 > " :."•:. 

viM^ itc color J^nci 'brooTi.-i iK^rJov 1-^, ri^ "ic5. rit "rGScrv^fcio , _ . :._;o 
it 3 original giialitr •''/ r.' ■■■"-. ' . \' '■''' "" ■ -"^.-t rv -^i^s-nd • s 
i1,r?t si^ft after tlir-ir I'-Arrlago* I'-lior Mar'^.ln^ pair.toc',. 'lier portrait, lie 
throT? till? sar.ie *5h?AI cv^r hor ahotildor, susssstins f.liat tiioiAgh hor s^^' 
dress Vva,- tlion in t^no "Sioisht of "fa*?!iion, It miglit not loo'i: as vrell wiicn 
it v;p'g consicfd'oc?. "propor for a l-"^.'1y»'? waist to bo Hxtegt tlian ller ar;:::, 
tli?.t ■beinG tlie day of los-of-irratton ffli3f3Vos<, Roforliig to tliofje por- 
traits, vl'Jkft'ii v/o liavoj tho lil^'cBess of fatlier is excollont, as lie ap- 
po?xoa iri Tii*; vounser ■r'.a'fsj tS&itjf of not tier was nevoT- tlLCf-Sht . so g'ood, 
"'ic oxocutlon I?, uns^irpasisccl. -Karelins iJ7as T;)y far f^^e nont enlnent per- 
tr:.it r?^i".tar of his claj-, and t'^o softness ancl freshness of tlieso por- 
traits Tem'=,lns, after n'f^iarl'/ fifty ye?.???, p..? perfect as on the day of 

tViGir eo^jplGtlc^n, The Tliotosrapli?' in tills volnms wsro net copivsa of • 
those portTalf,?, on.t pic^rarGs talsGn nans'" V^-^"^^ l-?.teT, 



I H M E M R I A M . 



JOHU TILLSON. 



C H R I S T I A II A HOLMES T I L L S H 



CHARLES HOLMES TILLSOU. 



(Portrait of llr. Tillson.) 



IN M E M R I A i: 



FATHER . 
JOHN a?lLLSON. 

Son of John and Desire Tlllson, 

Born in Halifax, llassaclmsetts, Maroli 13, 1796, 

Removed to Illinois, March^ I8I9* 

Married, October 6, I8Ji, ^^^0 

Died, at Peoria, 111,, May II, I85S. 



Known and esteemed long and broadly throiigliout tliG. State, and tlie 
West, his personal characteristics were well portrayed in an address ©f 
the Rev, Dr. |ii#P©at, who describes him as "Tillso^, the genial and 
generous, whose presence ever seeiasd to bring a larger swnliglit with Itj 
and whose public spirit and liberality wrought for permanent H^ bene-* 
fit in the early ^^^ history and institutions ©f the State*" 

Among his papers we find, in his hand-writing, a "List 



,Vc5. 



IS4 IIT LEMORIAM 

Of religious and "benevolent societies, whicli I consider erfe itled to es- 
pecial claims from me so long as tlie managers of said societies con- 
tinue to conduc^ them upon the principles under which they were organ- 
ized^ and God shall "be pleased to hless me with the means of bestowing* 
And at the close of tho long list he says: "The 'Illinois College' and 
•Hillsboro Academy' ^re Institutions which I hope will "be continually 
on my mind as deserving supports The former cannot fa#l, under it^ 
present judicious management, to accomplish Ltuch good in the West; and 
the later, I hope, will prove a "blessing to tho neigh"borhood where it 
is located," 

And so he lived. In all the active anlition of his prominent life, 
his singularly sagacious impulses avoiiod all selfish pej^vlsion, and 
ever regarding the amplitude of fortune T5hich fell t© his lot as a stew-. 
ardsliip of trust, so he trod his mission faithful and straight, sowing 
"beneficence wherevsr he could reach; and there is scarce an influence 
of pu"blic good during the first thirty years of our Stat^ history that 
was not aided by his wise counsel, and his open and sustaining hand; 
and freely as was felt the largeness of his heart to all the mxter 
world, yet more richly was his sunny nature seen in the home ^er his 
ch«if affections, rested, and which realized the blessed projection of a 
husband and father so indulgent and devoted. 



■fllrs, Tillsen»s portrait,! 



I H ym M R I A I! 



MOT H E R . 
C H R I S T I A H A HOLMES T I L L {J H • 

Daughter of Charles ai^ Re"b6cca Holmes* 

Bom at Kiiigsten, Hassaohusetts, Octo'Dsr II, I79S. 

Married, October C, XSS2, 

Died, at Hew York City, i/iay 29, 1872, 



iHiG random fetches herewith glliren tell sometiiing of our mother's ear*. 
Her lifOo They may tell somethir^ of i^^^sW^^^M the spirit that met 
and conquered the privations of pioneer days, tut nothing can fully tell 
the ooEjplet© story of a ioz:^ life purely passed; of the faii**#31 char- 
acter examplified in the discharge of qvgt^ duty to household, husband^ 
children, the world, and that to come, as wife, mother, and Christian* 
In the New Yorfe Evangelist ^ short ly after tier death, appears th^ fol- 
lowing "bfeif "but tmthitil delineation of our dear mother's chasioter 
and life: 

*It seems hut fitting that the Evangelist ^ so long and 



136 IN I£EMORIAM, 



sad 



so yogularly a visitant jrf ©f tier homo, should chronicle this ©vent, yet 

A 

sad only to thdse whose future is to live without h@r. With the messory 
of a life so usefiil, so singularly varied; of a mind so intellectual 
and so richly stored; of a character whose sympathies and perceg^tions 
always inspired tnist; her last few years of patient sickness , and thosf 
final days of joyi\il confidence in God, and tenderness to friends, 
seemed hut the perfected and glorious blossoming of a life which, rish 
in itself, had gathered strength and "beauty from many sources, with un- 
usual demand during many years upon "brain, heart and hands, with 3^1©. 
ability both to organize and exem^te; one wh© loiew her well «an testiljr 
that while always feeling deeply her own frailty and imworthiness, h@r 
^^ deepest, •inoerest desire uas that s'he might honor her God, and her 
life's olose was surely honored by the presence of the ^javiour in Hhom 
she trusted. Her life aBd death tv those who loved her, remains a P2©» 
clous legacy, bringing Heaven her dwelling place, and her Saviour 
nearer," 



(portrait ©f Charles Holmes Allison,) 



I IT M E M R I A M . 



BROTHER. 

CHARLES H L H E S T I L L S IT , 

Born at HillsTDoro, Illinois, Septeniber 15, I82S# 

Died at Gt, Paul, Hirmesota., llovcii&or 25, I865« 



Wo rememheT ^im as ovt youtliful playmate; our older brother and guid©^' 
our thooghtfiil f&mlly head, Mien ©iir father was taXen away; and als© in 
his ripe laanhood as a rare and notable sposlmeE of the true, native gen* 
tleraan. Intelligent, witty, sportive and cooart eoi:is, Ms was a singtilaa?-- 
ly sweet and winsome dispositiono T7e never— ^ronning reeolleetion ba«lfe 
to boyhood— saw him eidiibit anger; jigyot imew him unelvil; never betield 
him otherwise than pleasant, genial, considerate, This was Me prover- 
bial charaoteristio, and the<|; gentle dignity that would nd* let itself 
be ruffled, parried all harsh feeling, and drew t© him universal love* 
He laiew no eniniios, and had none, 

From a letter written to mother after '•Gharlle^s" death by his collesi' 
preceptor and friend, we extract as follows: 



138 1 IN JIEIiORIAlle 

STi LOUIS, Doc, 18, I8S5, 

M .aaSE lima. Tlllson:— I have sympatliizecl with you in your recent 

great sorrow, in the earthly lois of your "beloved aM no"ble son„ It 

\ms in,^ my heart to meet you in Quincys as you brought toads that loved 

and cherished form to your honio, preparatory to its toestoTOient toeside 

the last earthly resting place of his honored and sainted father, hut X 

- found it iiiipossito3.ec I loved your uan. for his father's salce and yo^r*.?! 

and also as a long-:fenown and highly Gsteesaed personal frionde XT ". 

his 
Icnown ^im froDy^early youth, and have evir toeen won toy the ts^th, the 

|.aodesty, the honor and delicacy of his character; and to th»se attri« 

toutes ay last conversation with hiia T?aXTants me in adding the cham of 

• huiatol©^ contrite, and sweet Christian spirit « 

c 
Th^se tears of genuine contrition, and of timid tout intelligont and 

healthful hope which I then witnessed, start sjy own tears now as X re- 
call theJii, and I feol that yon have yreat comfort in the assurance that 
thotigJi the ^^- OS your toeloved Charles went down In th© iioontiaev ^-f- 
has set In the glories of an endless day i/ith his toeloved fathex-, vftQ^e 

^ aeiaory is ever fi-esh and dear to me» 

" Te ^ M. P, 



